Looking Glass
by Peacewish
Summary: Li wakes up with a mild head wound, bleeding and unable to recall how he was attacked. But that's not all. There's something else terribly wrong...
1. ch1 waking up

Li: I don't believe this. I really don't believe this.

Peacewish: Now, Li, take it easy…

Li: You promised! You promised yourself and all of us that you would never do this!

Peacewish: I know, I know what I promised. But I can't help it. I need it for the plot. This is the best way.

Li: I'm angry at you, Peacewish. I refuse to speak to you.

Peacewish: Readers, what Li is so annoyed about is that I have rescinded a promise I made when I started writing fanfics. I promised myself that I would never, ever write a story where Li had still not confessed his love for Sakura (not counting my au fantasy fics, of course). So many writers have done it, and didn't want to cover the same territory again. (This does not constitute a general snub on those stories that rewrite Li's confession to Sakura, I've read many and they are quite well done. I simply feel like it's been done quite a bit.)

Li: It's been done to death! I hate it! They always make me look like a stuttering idiot!

Touya: I'm okay with that.

Peacewish: Pipe down, Li. So anyway, I am sorry to all my readers who are sick to death of that, but I swear I needed it for the plot line. And it's done a little differently than the other times you've seen it in the past. I hope you'll read the story anyway, set when Li and Sakura are sixteen and in high school together. Please just keep in mind that in this story, the events of the second movie never occurred.

Li: Grrr….

Peacewish: Quiet on the set! The story is about to begin…

Chapter 1

'waking up'

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

*****

The first sensation Li was aware of when his eyes fluttered open was of pain. It was everywhere, in his head, running down his body, all the way to his feet. He tried to move his hand, and had to bite his lip to keep from groaning. 

Where am I?

The light was harsh, but he opened his eyes wider to take in his surroundings. He was lying in bed, but not his bed. The room was stark and white, and an acrid smell of cleaning solution assaulted his nose. He wrinkled it in distaste, then shifted to sit up a little. Even that tiny movement resulted in ripples of pain, and this time he gave a slight groan.

A woman he'd never seen before stuck her head in and saw him looking at her. 

"Oh, you're up. Doctor! Doctor, he's awake!"

I'm in a hospital. 

The realization came to him like a wave washing up against the beach, comforting and puzzling at the same time.

Why am I in a hospital?

A man in scrubs came striding through the door and smiled, obviously pleased that Li was awake.

"Good, good. You're up. That must have been some blow to your head, you were out for at least a couple of hours."

Blow to my head?

Li raised a hand, wincing just a little, and felt the texture of a bandage wrapped around his head. The doctor pulled his hand away.

"Don't move too much, now, we don't want to strain anything. You probably have a mild concussion, at the very least. Who knows how long you were out before you were found." 

Someone found me? I was unconscious? What happened?

"Look straight at me now." The doctor shone a flashlight into each of his eyes and nodded thoughtfully to himself. "Not bad. Not bad. You must have a pretty healthy constitution. What's your name?"

Li frowned slightly, trying to clear his thoughts. What was his name? Oh, yes.

"Li. Li Syaoran."

"Good. And how old are you?"

"Um, sixteen." The doctor was checking his pulse.

"Go to school here?"

"Yes. Yes, I go to school here."

"Good. There's obviously no long-term memory loss to worry about. We were afraid of that when you came in, there was no wallet and nothing to identify you."

Wallet…

"My wallet. I keep it in my bookbag." There was flash in Li's eyes: himself, putting his keys and his wallet in his backpack that morning, on top of his books. "I put it in my backpack this morning. I had my backpack with me." He glanced around but couldn't see it. "Where is it?"

"Couldn't tell you, Li-san. A man walking his dog found you in the park, he didn't say anything about seeing a backpack with you. I guess they stole it."

"They?"

"Whoever it was that mugged you. I can hardly believe it myself; I can't remember the last time we had a mugging in this town. And in a children's park…" The doctor shook his head regretfully.

"I wasn't mugged," Li said flatly.

"What? What happened?"

"I – I don't know. I don't remember anything." Li tried to concentrate and focus his thoughts, but the day was a blur. He couldn't remember anything that he'd done or said. He didn't even remember walking to the park. What had he been doing there? "But it couldn't have been a mugging. I would have fought them."

That reminded him to check for his sword, and quickly he reached to feel for the reassuring presence under his shirt. It was still there, fortunately.

"I thought as much. Victims of physical trauma to the head sometimes have difficulty recalling the attack, and up to several hours beforehand as well. Hopefully it will come back to you in time. Meanwhile, I think we should probably keep you here overnight. Can I call your parents?"

"Um." Li had to drag his attention back to the doctor, pushing aside the question of what had happened in the park. "Um, no. My mother is in Hong Kong. I live with a servant in my apartment. You can call him."

Li recited the phone number, and the doctor stood to leave.

"Good. I'll just call this, and hopefully we can get a guardian up here to give us your insurance number. He must be worried by now." The man patted his arm in a friendly manner and turned to leave.

Patted my arm…she patted my arm and she smiled – 

"Wait."

"Yes?" Li struggled to sit up even more, anxiety crawling in his stomach.

"What about Sakura?"

"Who?"

"Sakura. Is she here too? Short brown hair, green eyes?" Li couldn't remember if she'd been with him in the park or not, his memory was a blank. What if she'd been there too?

"You were the only one that the pedestrian found, Li-san. It doesn't sound like anyone else was there."

"Oh." Li relaxed and reclined against the pillows again. The relief was overwhelming. Whatever had happened to him, Sakura was all right. It was such a comforting thought that he closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip into sleep again. His head hurt terribly, and all he wanted was some relief from the pain. 

Darkness fell on his world.

*****

The sun was setting when he woke up again, and the nurse was setting a tray on his bedside table.

"Oh, you're up. Good, you can get some food into you." She smiled and swiveled the little bed tray to put his dinner directly in front of him.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?" She gave him a confused look, and he realized that he'd lapsed into his native tongue.

"Arigatou," he said again, this time in Japanese, and she smiled.

"I'm glad you're awake; there's been a problem trying to contact your guardian."

"He's not my - " Li started to speak, then stopped. "What kind of problem?"

"Well, I've been calling the number you gave to the doctor, but nobody's answering."

"We have an answering machine."

"Well, it's not picking up." She held up a notepad with his home number scribbled across it. "Are you sure this is the right number?"

"Of course I'm sure," he snapped. 

"It's just, that was a nasty knock you got on your head. You could be a little confused, maybe gave us an old phone number, or the phone number of a friend - "

"That's my number," Li said firmly. What's more, Wei should have been home at this hour, fixing dinner. Why wasn't he picking up?

Odd.

"Let me call. Maybe he'll answer now, he's always home at sunset." He started to push himself up, but she pushed him back down against the pillows.

"Oh no. Doctor's orders. You're to stay in bed for at least one night; we don't want a relapse. And you need to eat. I'll try again, if you're sure that this is the right number."

Reluctantly Li subsided and tried to eat his dinner. He was starving, but the hospital food was awful. And a prickle of worry was beginning to run up and down the back of his mind. Where was Wei?

I remember getting up this morning. He fixed breakfast, like always. It was early…he said it was unusually early for today. Because – because today is a Saturday. That's it. I was up early today to have breakfast so I could go to the library and study. We have a test next week, and I was going to spend the day studying. I put my books, my wallet, and my keys in my backpack, and then – 

And then nothing. He shook his head in frustration, but after that it was a total blank. Another nurse came in and changed the dressing on his head, switching to a smaller bandage that just covered the scar on his forehead. And still he could not remember.

"Nobody's picking up, still," the woman announced upon returning.

"That's crazy. Why would he not be home?"

"I'm sorry. Maybe he's out looking for you?"

"No way. He's used to me keeping odd hours. He wouldn't even be worried yet." 

Maybe that's it, maybe he chose tonight to go out and do something. But why wouldn't the answering machine be picking up? Weird. "Let me call one of my friends, at least. I need to tell somebody that I'm in the hospital."

"Well…" She hesitated. "You're supposed to stay in bed, but I suppose you really should call someone. I'll go get my cell phone, how about that? I'll be right back."  
"Thank you." She took the dinner tray with her when she left, and a few minutes later reappeared with her cell phone.

Li wished he had his, but it had been in his backpack. He'd grown used to just pressing the autodial keys for Tomoyo and Sakura over the years, he wasn't even sure if he knew their numbers anymore. What was it? 

He couldn't immediately recall Sakura's cell, but Tomoyo's home number had an easy-to-remember sequence of numbers. He dialed, but nobody was picking up there either. He would have tried her cell phone if he could remember the number, but he couldn't. Finally he tried Sakura's home.

Please, please, please let this be the right number. 

"Hello, this is the Kinomoto residence…"

Thank goodness. Even if it's just a machine, I finally remembered someone's number.

"…and I will call you back." Sakura's father stopped speaking, and Li hesitated when he heard the beep. He had no phone number to leave for Sakura to call, and what was he supposed to say? That he was in the hospital, recovering nicely from a mysterious blow to the head?

"Um, hi," he said lamely. "It's me. I'm, uh, doing all right. In case you were worried. I'll call back."

Obviously she didn't know, or otherwise she and Tomoyo would already be at the hospital. He hung up, feeling discouraged, and gave the nurse her phone.

"Here. Thanks." 

"I hope you get a hold of someone soon," she replied cheerfully. "And now it's time for you to be sleeping."

"I'm not sleepy."

"Tough. You need your rest. Why don't you change out of those dirty clothes and into a hospital gown? The hospital can wash them tonight."

For the first time, Li noticed he was still in his clothes. His shoes had been removed, but he was still wearing his black cotton shirt and the khakis he'd put on that morning. A few dark stains of blood were on his shirt, barely noticeable.

"I don't want to." 

"You should, you know. We didn't want to do it when you first came in because we afraid of hemorrhage. But it isn't hygienic."

He shook his head. He couldn't explain it, precisely, but he didn't want these clothes washed in the sterile environment of the hospital. They were the last links he had to a day that he didn't even remember. They were clues.

"I don't want to. You can't make me."

She hmphed a little at that, but it was nearing the end of her shift. She was tired and wanted to go home. If this kid wanted to sleep in his clothes, it wasn't that much of an issue. She'd let it slide.

"Well, if you change your mind, press that button over there. A nurse will attend to you. And try to get some sleep." She stood and left the room, shutting the door behind her. 

Sleep, thought Li crossly. I don't want anymore sleep; I've been sleeping all afternoon. I want to know what happened today, in the park. 

He felt restless, and sat up, swinging his legs over to one side of the bed. His muscles protested, but the pain wasn't as bad as it had been earlier. His head throbbed with the movement, but he was fairly sure he could stand. Carefully he slid off the bed, keeping a grip on the bedside railing, and waited for the dizziness to subside.

Okay, Syaoran. One step at a time. You can do this.

Taking his time about it, he crossed the little room to stand in front of the window. It was probably against the rules to open it, but he really needed some fresh air. Unlocking and pushing it open made his head swim with the effort, but it was worth it. Leaning against the sill and inhaling the evening breeze, he tried again to take himself through the morning.

I woke up. I did some push-ups in my bedroom, then I showered. I dressed…I put on these clothes that I'm wearing. I remember digging through the closet to find these khakis. I wanted to have something comfortable on when I was studying. Wei made breakfast, I ate, and I gathered the books that I wanted. 

History. That's what the test is on. I wanted my history book and my notes. I put them in my backpack, and I stuck my wallet and my keys in. I zipped it up. I was heading for the front door, and – and – 

Somewhere outside his room, the phone rang at the nurse's desk.

The phone rang!

This revelation burst upon him with a startling intensity, making him gasp and slump against the wall. Coming on top of the walk across the room and opening the window, the mental strain had been too much. He collapsed.

*****

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

Li jerked awake, startled. 

Where am I?  
It was utterly black around him, he could barely see his own hand in front of his face. He was stiff and sore, and realized that he was not in his bed. He was crumpled up against the wall, lying on a cold and hard floor.

This isn't my bedroom. Where am I?

Uncertainly he stood up, and put a hand on the windowsill to steady himself. That's when the memories came flooding back. He was in the hospital, with a head trauma wound. 

That's right. I was trying to remember what happened today. Or is yesterday now? I have no idea what time it is. I got dressed, I packed up some books for the library, and I was heading for the front door when the phone rang.

He felt pleased that he'd remembered something else, and strained his brain to recover more, but there was nothing. He couldn't even remember if he was the one to pick it up or not. He only remembered the phone ringing. 

Turning to look outside the window again, he could see now that the moon had almost reached the western horizon. It must be fairly late into the night. He couldn't believe he'd slept so long on the hard floor.

Wei would be worried by now. If I call, he's sure to be home, even if he's not awake. The phone will wake him up, though.

Gingerly he crept across the floor and felt for his shoes, then put them on. He knew the staff wouldn't like it if they saw him up and moving, so he pushed open the door a crack and peeked outside. It was the still hours of pre-dawn, and outside everything was quiet. The nurse's desk was unmanned, at least for the moment. He slipped out of the room and tiptoed down the corridor until he saw a phone against the wall.

Ring…ring…

Ring…ring…

Li let it ring thirty times before finally giving up. Who knew Wei could be such a sound sleeper?

He thought about trying Sakura's home again, but ruled that out. The last thing he needed was to wake up Mr. Kinomoto. He'd try Tomoyo's phone instead; she had her own private line.

Ring…ring…

"Hello?" murmured a sleepy voice.

"Tomoyo? Tomoyo, it's me. You'll never believe what happened - "

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Li, I - "

"Wrong number," she slurred, and there was a click, followed by a dial tone.

Damn.

Li scowled at the phone. He was sure he'd had the number right that time, and it had sounded like her. But it could have been anybody. Even if it was Tomoyo, she might have been too sleepy to recognize his voice. Li decided he couldn't take sitting here anymore, and that it was time to go.

I'm going home. I need to tell Wei I'm all right. He can come back tomorrow and pay the hospital, and I can figure out what the hell happened to me.

He'd barely reached his decision before he was already walking down the length of the corridor. The Emergency Room was sleepy, the nurses busy with patients, and it was easy enough to slip through and exit the hospital. Outside, the night air was chilly, and he shivered in his thin cotton shirt. Although the days in spring were as warm as summer, it was still cold at night.

I have no money for a cab fare, even if cabs were operating at this hour. I guess I have no option but to walk. 

Li shrugged to himself and started moving. He was feeling much better now, his healthy young body was already asserting itself, beginning to heal from his mysterious attack. His head still hurt, but even that pain was fading. He fell into a stride, and covered the town at a good and steady pace.

The sun was rising by the time he'd arrived at his apartment building. His keys were gone and the door locked, so impatiently he knocked.

"Wei? Are you up? Come on, I'm locked out. Wei? Wei!"

"Stop it!" snapped an angry woman, throwing open the door as she tied her bathrobe about her. She and Li traded shocked looks.

"Who are you?" they both asked at the same time. She brushed her hair back from her sleepy face.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were my ex-boyfriend. He's been calling and calling all night, he won't leave me alone. Who are you?"

Li was gaping as he checked the number on the apartment door. 

This is it. I've lived in this apartment for years…I know my own number. Don't I?

"I – I'm sorry. This is where I live." He felt a little stupid saying it, and she raised her eyebrows. "I mean, I thought it was where I lived. I – this is my number. I've lived in this apartment for years."

"Sorry, kid, but this is my place. Has been for three years." She was looking at the bandage on his head now. "Are you sure you're not a little confused? Maybe you should come in, I could call the hospital - "

"No," Li snapped. "I'm not confused. This is my home! I know my own home!"

"But - " She broke off when he brushed past her. The apartment was surely his. But the furnishings were totally unfamiliar. There were flowered landscapes on the wall and velvety drapes on the windows, feminine touches that had been conspicuously absent when two men were living here.

"This isn't my home," he said softly. He felt stunned.

"Yes, I said that, remember? Now why don't you sit down and let me call the hospital - "

"No. No, they'll just take me back. I have to figure out what's going on. I need to find Sakura and solve this."

"Huh?" He ignored her blank look and spun on his heels to leave the apartment. He could feel her gaze on him as he stomped toward the elevators, then he heard the door finally shut.

I hope she doesn't call the police. I really don't feel like dealing with them right now. Something's happened to Wei, and I'm not going to rest until I figure out what. It must be connected to the head injury from yesterday, but how? What would anybody want with him? And why would they take my backpack? There wasn't anything important in there.

He reached to rake his fingers through his hair, something he always did when he was feeling frustrated. He could feel the bandage on his forehead, and he felt a cold resolve settle deep within him. Something had happened to him. Something had happened to his servant. And he would not rest until he figured out what.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	2. ch2 realization

****

Chapter 2

'realization'

Li flopped onto the grass, feeling tired and discouraged. It being so early, he'd decided the best thing to do was to come here to the park and try to examine the scene of the crime. Except of course, he had no idea where it had happened. He still didn't even remember coming to the park. 

Why would I do that? I know I was headed toward the library. Why was I here?

"Come on," he appealed to the giant penguin slide. "You saw it. You must have seen the whole thing. Give me a hint."

But statues couldn't talk, and this one wasn't giving up any secrets. Li sighed and glanced around. He'd hoped that by coming here his memory might be jogged a little, but there was nothing. All he could think of were the multiple captures they'd made here, all those years ago. So many had happened right here.

It's almost as though the Cards were attracted to this place. I wonder if some places on earth are just more receptive to magic.

He shrugged and stood. There wasn't anything that he could find here that was of interest, and definitely no sign of his backpack. They must have taken it, whoever 'they' were.

The sun was rising, and he decided that it must be late enough to give Sakura a call. It was a Sunday, but hopefully she'd up by now. At least he'd finally remembered what her cell phone number was.

Lacking in change, he left the park and found the first store that was open, asking to use their phone. He got a few odd looks in the direction of his bandage, but they acceded and he dialed the number.

"We're sorry, but this number is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again."

The terse message left Li puzzled and at a dead-end once more.

I was sure that that was it. I remembered her phone number while I was walking; I'm sure I had it right.

For the first time since his conversation with the doctor, Li felt a twinge of uneasiness about Sakura. She was his partner, his friend, and he loved her deeply, even if he'd never had the courage to say it. What if something had happened to her?

No. I was the only one they found. I was the only victim.

Li clung to that thought as he left the store, but he still felt troubled. He decided that he wouldn't feel better until he saw her and made sure she was all right.

Across the street, a young man left a bakery with a box of donuts, fishing out his keys as he headed toward his car. Li perked up. Normally he dreaded this person, but today he couldn't have come along at a better time.

"Kinomoto!" He crossed the street as the dark-haired man glanced up. "Kinomoto, wait up!" Touya paused as he opened his door and gave him an annoyed look.

"Can I help you?"

"I really don't have time for the attitude, Kinomoto." Li tapped the bandage on his forehead impatiently. "Can you believe it? I got attacked yesterday, and I have no idea what happened. I need you to give me a ride to your house."

"Give you a ride to my house?" Touya repeated blankly.

"Yes, and don't start fussing. I really need to talk to your sister. It's an emergency."

At the word 'sister' Touya's entire expression changed. His eyes widened and he took a step back from Li as though he was suddenly dangerous.

"Stay away from me," he threatened.

"Huh?"

"Get out of here. Leave me alone!" Touya dove into his car and slammed the door shut, pulling away from the curb with a squeal. He almost ran over Li's foot, rooted to the ground with astonishment like he was.

What just happened? That was cold, even for Touya. What's his problem?

Li felt irritated. Trust the onii-chan to get all macho about protecting Sakura from him at a time like this. He could have used a ride, he felt tired from all the walking he'd been doing since early morning.

I guess I'll just have to walk a little bit more. It's not that far.

Feeling a trifle grouchy, he set out once more. But his head was starting to throb again, and upon touching his bandage, he could feel a warm wetness. Blood must be starting to seep through, with all this activity. He felt woozy and sat down on a bench at the bus stop. 

The past twenty-four hours haven't been too terrific. A total blank for the first half, and a killer headache for the second. Hmm…let's run over the facts again. I got up, got dressed, started to leave for the library. The phone rang. Somehow, much later, I ended up in the park with a bleeding head wound. Wei never picked up when I called, and when I went home, a stranger was living in our apartment. My backpack is missing, Sakura's phone is out of service, and a girl that I'm pretty sure was Tomoyo hung up on me when I tried to talk to her.

The situation did not look good, and he felt exhausted just thinking it through. The pounding was getting worse in his head. He could feel the blood seeping, in sync with the throbbing pain. Lying down was starting to look more and more attractive, but he clenched his fists in denial.

No, no I can not be going to sleep again. This is no time to lie down. Wei is missing, my home is no more, and someone is out to hurt me. I've got to stay awake, I've got to figure this out.

It was the last thought he had before slumping over on the bench and passing out.

*****

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Hello?"

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

"Hey there. Hey, buddy, are you awake?"

Someone was prodding him gently on the shoulder, and he yelped and sat straight up, panting hard. The boy, about his own age, had been crouching on the sidewalk next to him and he fell backwards.

"Ouch! That hurt." He grimaced and righted himself, then cast another worried glance in Li's direction. "Are you all right?" 

He looked vaguely familiar, and Li placed him as one of his classmates at school, though he wasn't sure of the name. Y…Yuuhi? The effort of thinking brought the rest of the memories back as well, and he recalled falling over on the bench and going to sleep. 

Stupid. Sloppy. What's wrong with me?

"You look as though you've been in an accident," the boy continued. "We're calling the hospital."

We?

"The ambulance can probably get here in no time," spoke up a familiar voice, and Li turned slightly to see Tomoyo standing by the end of the bench, her cell phone already out.

"Tomoyo!" He rocketed off the bench and enveloped her in a grateful hug, causing her to squeal in surprise. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you, you would just not believe what's been happening today, I - "

"Hey, watch it!" The guy yanked on his arm and pulled him off, then glowered as he placed himself between Li and Tomoyo. "Who is this guy? Is he Chinese?"

What?

Then Li realized that he'd been babbling in Cantonese again and rolled his eyes. Why did he keep doing that?

"Gomen. Look, Tomoyo, I really need your help, I - " His words died on his lips as he saw the expression on her face. She looked puzzled, unsure, and positively scared that he might try to touch her again. "Tomoyo?"

"Who is this guy? How does he know your name?" She shook her head, obviously confused.

"I have no idea, Yuuhi, I swear." Li's amazement was not lessened by the way that the boy called Yuuhi put his arm protectively in front of Tomoyo, and how she clutched at him for support. Since when did she have a boyfriend?

"Tomoyo, what are you talking about? Don't you know me?" Li felt a kind of sinking sensation in his stomach when he saw her face. Touya was bad enough, but Tomoyo… Tomoyo had always been there for him. She couldn't back out on him now, she just couldn't.

"Look, mister, you've obviously been in a pretty bad accident. You're a little confused, you're not sure - "

"I am not confused!" he snapped. "I know you, and I know who I am. Why is everybody acting so bizarre today? I was attacked for crying out loud. I need to talk to Sakura!"

Yuuhi sucked in his breath sharply, but that was nothing compared to Tomoyo's reaction. She opened her mouth and screamed, her violet eyes terrified. Li had seen a piano chase after her, he'd seen her trapped in alternate dimensions, but he had never seen Tomoyo look so scared in her life. He took a step toward her and she stumbled back.

"He's one of them, he's one of them," she sobbed. "Stop him! Stop him!" Li barely saw Yuuhi's fist coming in time, and he ducked. In his condition, he really couldn't afford to take a hit to the face. But why was he being attacked at all? What was wrong with Tomoyo?

"Get him, Yuuhi, get him!" she shouted frantically, redialing her phone. "I'm calling the police!"

"What? Tomoyo, what - "

"Stop talking to her!" warned Yuuhi, before swinging again. Li ducked and instinctively raised his fist, then changed his mind and backed away. He couldn't get into a fight like this. But why was Tomoyo so scared? And why the police?

Li didn't know anything anymore; his world had been turned upside down. But he did know that he didn't need a confrontation with the police. He sent one last longing glance in Tomoyo's direction before sprinting away.

Yuuhi followed, but Tomoyo tugged violently on his shirt.

"Don't, don't," she cried. "There could be more. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you too."

Reluctantly Yuuhi slowed, and wrapped his girlfriend in comforting arms. She was a hysterical mess, and she needed him right now. The stranger was already out of sight, and he squeezed Tomoyo tighter. After several years of pining for this beautiful girl, she was finally his, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.

*****

It was fear of pursuit that lent Li his speed, but he finally had to slow down. His muscles ached, and the blood was pumping much faster now. He felt something drip down the side of his face. The bandage was probably soaked through, and he wiped his face with his sleeve.

What's happening? It's as if her memory has been erased. But what was that guy doing with her? 

Yuuhi should have recognized him from class, he knew who he was. Nobody at their high school had ever dared to throw a punch at him. He touched a fingertip to his face and looked at the blood on it.

"Everybody has amnesia except me," he said aloud to the street.

I did get a pretty bad injury. Am I – am I hallucinatory? Did I imagine the past six years?

No. He shook his head determinedly. No, he would not start thinking like that. He knew who he was, and he knew who his friends were. He just had to get to Sakura and everything would be all right. 

He tried to put a nasty thought out of his mind as he looked for a pharmacy store. The blood was flowing, and he wanted to find a new bandage for it.

What if she didn't know who he was, either?

*****

Li left the store feeling refreshed and relieved. He wasn't proud of himself, lifting gauze and hydrogen peroxide from the shelves, but he was desperate. Under the circumstances, he felt justified. But now the sun was nearing its zenith, peeking out from the swelling cumulonimbus clouds in the sky. It must be near noon. 

He set out for the Kinomoto home. Tomoyo, for whatever reason, didn't seem to know who he was. And Touya didn't seem to either. They must be under some kind of memory spell, but Sakura was a sorceress. She wouldn't be affected the same way; she had magic to protect herself with. At least, Li hoped so. Certainly he hadn't been affected.

But that still didn't explain what had happened to his apartment and Wei…

He paused uncertainly in front of Sakura's home. There was a car parked in the driveway, the one he'd seen Mr. Kinomoto driving for years. Her father probably wouldn't know him either. So he didn't bother with the front door but walked around to the side of the house.

Li had never been fond of heights, but he knew it was possible to scale the tree to get to her bedroom window. She'd done it herself to sneak out on plenty of occasions. If he didn't look down, he could probably climb up all right. 

He started to pull himself up, despite the dizziness that still echoed in his mind.

"Stop that," he whispered. "This is not the time. Focus on the tree." Bit by bit, he hauled himself up through the branches, then began to slither up the thick branch near her window. It was shut, and he had to activate his sword to use as a lever until the window was pried open. 

"Sakura?" he tried, tentatively. "Kero? It's me. I'm coming in." Squeezing his eyes shut, he reached out and gripped the upper sill firmly, then swung his legs out until his feet touched the bottom sill. He kept them firmly shut until he was safely inside, and he gave a sigh of relief. That sigh caught in his throat when he opened his eyes.

*****

It wasn't her room. It was her room, it was the room she'd always lived in, but it was no longer hers. All the little touches that had made it her own were gone. Her dolls, her stuffed animals, the photos of the two of them and Tomoyo that had been on her desk were all gone. The walls were still green, but there was no bedding on her mattress, and her closet was empty. A few boxes were stacked up in the corner, covered in a thick film of dust. 

Oh no. No, not this. Oh, Sakura, please no…

A knot of panic twisted in Li's stomach as he crossed over to the desk and opened the top drawer. The book with the Cards was gone. Through all his worrying that Sakura might not remember him, it had never occurred to him that she might not be there. Knowing that it was hopeless, he opened the bottom drawer. The space that had been Kero's bedroom was empty and bare, except for a lonely barrette in the corner. He reached out and picked it up.

It was pink, and in a pattern of three hearts. It looked like the sort of thing she might have worn when she was younger, though she'd long since stopped wearing such things in her hair. 

"Sakura," he whispered. "Where are you? Who did this to you?" Her naked room left an ache in his heart that dwarfed the pain in his head. His beautiful, precious Sakura was gone, and he had no idea where.

Somewhere inside the house, a phone rang.

The phone rang…

"Hello?"

"Hi Syaoran!"

"Sakura." He blushed faintly as he stared at the wall and gripped the phone a little tighter.

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

Li gasped and dropped the barrette, returning to the present just in time to hear the footsteps outside the door. With seconds to spare he rolled across the floor and under the bed. There was a lot of dust under here, and he wrinkled his nose. The door was opening now, and a pair of feet walked in. There was a heavy sigh, and then the person sat down on the mattress.

I left the window open, thought Li. And the bottom drawer. How long will it take for him to notice?

A sneeze was building, and Li placed a hand over his mouth to try and filter the dust out. He was afraid to even take a deep breath; the room was so still and quiet. Whoever it was that was sitting on her bed didn't even seem inclined to move. They remained that way for an agonizing fifteen minutes at least before a door slammed somewhere in the house.

"Dad?" a voice called out. The man with Li did not reply, and Touya had to call out a few more times before coming a stop in Sakura's doorway. "Dad."

"I'm here."

"I can see that. I thought we decided that it wasn't a good idea to come in this room any more."

"You decided that." There was no accusation, no bitterness. Instead there was only sadness. Li watched Touya's feet come into the room, hesitantly, as if the very floor was painful to walk on. 

"Dad. I miss her too. But it's not healthy to come up here and just sit like this. It isn't going to bring her back."

"I wasn't going to," the older man said plaintively. "I really wasn't going to do it today. But Tomoyo just called me."

"Daidouji?"

"Yes. She sounded awful, crying into the phone. She was attacked by a man this morning, and she thinks he had something to do with it."

Li heard Touya's sharp intake of breath.

"Was he young? A teenager? With brown hair and brown eyes?"

"Yes. She called me to warn me. Did you see him too?"

"Yeah. He came out of nowhere, called me by name and everything." Touya frowned as he shut the bottom drawer to Sakura's desk. Who was that guy? Was he dangerous?

"Dad, I don't think you should stay here."

"Please don't start that again, Touya. I don't want to talk about it."

"But it may not be safe for you."

"I don't care!" Li had never heard Mr. Kinomoto sound so unraveled. There was a crack in his voice that obviously alarmed Touya, and the young man backed off.

"I know why you want to stay. But I'm just worried about you, that's all. I don't want to lose you too."

"I'll be fine, Touya. You know you don't have to worry about me."

"Sure I do," Touya replied, a fake cheer in his voice. "I'm your son. That's my job." He moved to the open window, not meeting his father's eyes. They both knew, though neither would say it aloud, that Touya had been the man in the family for some time now. "You shouldn't have opened the window. It's clouding up. Looks like it might rain."

"I didn't open the window."

Li held his breath, but Touya only gave a little sigh.

"Of course you didn't, Dad."

There was a gentle acquiescence in his tone that made Sakura's father stiffen. 

"I didn't!"

"Don't worry about it, Dad. Come on, have you had lunch yet? I'll fix something downstairs."

The younger man moved to the older one, and he placed a hand on his shoulder. His father still looked as though he wanted to argue about the window, but then he subsided and stood.

"Thank you, Touya. Lunch would be nice."

Lunch would be nice, thought Li, suddenly aware of his growling stomach. But he couldn't worry about food right now. The conversation he'd just heard had given him too much to think about. Questions were buzzing in his mind, along with fear. 

What happened here? Why does nobody seem to know me? What happened to Sakura?

There was a roll of thunder, and then the sound of rain beating against the window. Li couldn't stomach the thought of trying to climb down the tree in the rain, so he lay his head back down on the floor and closed his eyes. 

He didn't know what had happened, but he knew he wanted to undo it, more than anything he'd ever wanted before. He wanted his Sakura back.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	3. ch3 she's gone

****

Chapter 3

'she's gone'

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hi Syaoran!"

"Sakura." He blushed faintly as he stared at the wall and gripped the phone a little tighter.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much. I was just headed to the library to study for our history test."

"Oh Syaoran." He could practically hear her roll her eyes. "As if you don't know the material backwards and forwards."

"It never hurts to be prepared."

"Well, can you take fifteen minutes out of your study time to meet me at the park?"

Li smiled one of his rare smiles. Could he ever!

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

A massive crash of thunder woke Li, and he almost banged his head on the bottom of the bed before he remembered where he was. His ragged breathing was so loud, he was surprised that the men in the house didn't rush into the room at the sound of it.

Calm down, Syaoran, breathe deep. 

He inhaled carefully, then promptly sneezed at all the dust he'd kicked up. He froze, but nobody seemed to have heard. The spring thunderstorm was still raging outside, masking any noises he would make. Cautiously he crept out from under the bed and stood, stretching to alleviate the stiffness.

So that's why I was at the park. I wonder why she wanted to see me. Was she there, then? Was she with me when it happened?

He bit his lip. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask, but he couldn't go downstairs. Mr. Kinomoto was obviously on edge about his daughter, and Touya was like a live wire. He needed to talk to someone calm, rational. That person had always been Tomoyo. But after the way she had looked at him that morning…

Li shivered. He'd never seen his friend so frightened in her life. 

But she's my best chance at getting any answers about what's been going on these past couple of days. I need to get her alone, away from that guy. But I can't get out with the weather like this. 

Glumly he stared at the streaming window. He'd kill himself if he tried to climb down the tree in all this rain. Frustrating as it was, he was stuck for the moment. At least his head wasn't hurting so much anymore. 

Curiously he drifted toward the boxes in the corner. The one on top was the lightest; it felt as though there was almost nothing in it at all. Upon opening it, he found just three items.

Her hamster slippers. And her old baton.

He lifted it out and examined it. There was nothing wrong with it that he could see. He thought of the many times he'd seen her at practice, and at her performances, tossing the rod up in the air and catching it with practiced ease. She'd always been so beautiful when she did stuff like that. He got a lump in his throat thinking about it, and he returned the baton and replaced the cardboard lid. The box below it was much larger and heavier, and he didn't move it. Instead he just opened it. This box was crammed with her clothes. Nothing too mysterious there, except – 

This isn't right.

He shook his head as he lifted out her school uniform. Her old elementary school uniform. The familiar little sailor blouse brought a flood of pleasant memories back, but he thought she'd gotten rid of this years ago. What was it still doing here in her room, packed up with her clothes?

Not, I realize, one of the more vital questions that I am plagued with. But it's still strange. Nothing is making sense.

*****

It was torture to have to wait until the rain stopped, but he made himself do it anyway. There was no point in leaving the house too early, he needed the cover of darkness. As the room grew darker, the rain finally slowed to a drizzle, then stopped completely. Relieved, he pulled open the window and nerved himself for the slight jump to reach the branch. He wasn't going to be able to shut the window when he left, but he couldn't worry about that right now. 

Don't look down, Syaoran. 

He leaped and caught hold of the branch, bark still slippery with the rain. But he managed to hold on, and clambered down the side of the tree with little difficulty. The dizziness was almost completely gone, thanks to the short nap. There were stains up the front of his pants now, but he had other things to deal with. He needed to get to Tomoyo's.

*****

There was no point in trying the intercom at the gate, he realized, and he had to scramble up and over the wall, then slip through the garden like a common thief. Keeping a wary eye out for servants, he circled the mansion until he was underneath her window and began to climb the drainpipe.

For a man with a head injury, I've been doing a lot of climbing today. Seems risky. But I guess I have no alternative. 

The light was on in her window, fortunately, and he could see that no one was there upon looking in. Now was his best chance. Pushing open the glass, he crept over the sill and landed lightly on the plush carpet.

There was a distant rumble of thunder, the last parting shot of the storm, and Tomoyo walked out of her bathroom in a lavender bathrobe. She was toweling her hair dry, and it was a second before she glanced up and saw Li by her window. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream again. Li had to throw himself at her to cover her mouth.

"Don't," he hissed. "Please don't." She bit his hand and struggled, but Li wrapped an arm around her chest, pinning her arms to the sides, and pushed her up against the wall to limit her freedom of movement. "Please, Tomoyo. You can't scream. I know you have bodyguards downstairs, and I don't want to hurt anyone in a fight. I'm getting more desperate by the hour, and I can't be responsible for my actions."

That only seemed to make her more afraid, and she struggled harder.

"Shh! Tomoyo, please. You've got to listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you, I swear. You're one of my best friends. God knows why, but you don't remember me. All I want to do is talk. That's it."

She didn't seem convinced.

"You can sing," he added. "You're one of the best singers in the varsity choir, and you're president of the Audio/Visual club. You love taping things; you always have a camera in hand. You love to wear lavender." 

She'd stopped struggling now, staring at him with curiosity mixed with her fear.

"I'm going to remove my hand now. Do you promise not to scream?"

She nodded.

"Good." Slowly he took his hand off her mouth, alert for any chance that she would go back on her word. But she didn't seem scared now so much as sad.

"I always wanted to be president of the A/V club in high school," she whispered. "But I don't love to tape things. Not anymore."

Li backed away, and she straightened her robe, pulling it more tightly around her waist.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Li Syaoran. I go to school with you, we've been friends since we were kids." Seeing her puzzled face, he sat down on the edge of her bed, discouraged. "I know you don't know me. I don't know why. But I need to talk to you anyway. You've always been the one, Tomoyo. The friend that I turned to when I was unsure of myself, and didn't know what was going on. You were the only one that knew that I was in love with - "

He stopped himself just in time. She was intrigued now, and she sat on the edge of the large bed, just out of his reach.

"Tomoyo. Everything has been spinning around for the past day and I don't know up from down anymore. Nothing is how it should be. I need answers. Please, just tell me this one thing."

He paused to take a deep breath.

"What happened to Sakura?"

"I don't know."

*****

He let the silence hang in the air for a full minute, trying to understand the meaning behind her cryptic answer. She was staring at the threads in her comforter, pain and grief obvious in her posture, even if he couldn't see her eyes.

"What do you mean, you don't know? Did she – is she dead?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know. Nobody does."

"How can nobody know?"

"Because she's gone," she choked. 

"Gone?"

"Disappeared. She was kidnapped, I guess. We don't even know that much, really. She just – vanished." Li realized she was starting to cry, and he hurried to hand her the box of kleenex she kept on her desk. "Thanks," she sniffled, and dabbed at her eyes.

"Please. I know this is painful. But I have to know. What happened?"

She looked up at last, and tried to gain better control over her voice.

"It was just so sudden. One day she was there, and then she was gone. It was horrible."

"How could she just vanish?"

"I have no idea. There was nothing special about the day she disappeared. We went to school, and she had cheerleading practice afterwards. Nothing unusual. She said goodbye to me after that, and then she went home. Nobody ever saw her again."

Li had to swallow. The way Tomoyo said it; he could imagine why Mr. Kinomoto had been so edgy. What a horrible experience.

"When did this happen?"

"In April. We were nine."

"Nine?" Li repeated in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. He had just seen Sakura on Friday!

"Yes. I still remember the day she vanished. It was ordinary, but it's so clear in my mind because of the shock that followed it. She went home to fix dinner for her family, and next thing I know, Touya was calling me that night to ask if I'd seen her. I said no, and he seemed a little worried. But I was sure that everything would be all right." She took a deep breath and elaborated on her story.

"The next morning, I waited for Sakura outside the school like I always did. She didn't show, and she didn't show, and then finally Tsukishiro-san came riding up on his bike. I asked where Sakura and Touya were, and he said he didn't know. Touya had never showed up like he usually did, and he had ridden on to school alone. I mentioned that Touya had called me looking for Sakura, and he said that he'd gotten a call too. I didn't like that, but I didn't feel there was anything I could do except go to school. Then, in the middle of class, a detective walked into our room. He talked to Terada-sensei for a minute in a quiet voice, and I remember seeing the look of shock and horror on my teacher's face. Then Terada-sensei turned to us and said, very slowly, that Sakura was missing, and had any of us seen her the evening before? Everybody gasped, we were all so shocked. And I was afraid. I was so afraid. Nothing like this had ever happened in my life. I burst into tears and ran out of the room. Terada-sensei shouted at me to stop, but I just kept on running. I ran all the way to Sakura's house. There was a police car parked out front, and I ran into the house. Both Mr. Kinomoto and Touya were there, talking to a policeman. Neither of them looked as though they had slept all night. Touya said I shouldn't have left school, but he gave me a hug anyway. I guess I looked like I could use it. Then he sat down on the couch with me on his lap and told me I could stay if I was quiet. I think he needed the comfort of having a little girl around. I wasn't his sister, but I was the next best thing."

She stopped talking for a moment to take a sip from the glass of water on her bedside table. Li looked absolutely horrified. Whoever he was, he obviously cared very much for Sakura. She could see it in his eyes.

"The detective came back, and he talked with Mr. Kinomoto for a while about what could have happened. They questioned me, since I was the last person to have seen her. I swore that she was coming right home, and he wondered if someone had picked her up on the road. But Touya pointed out that the door was unlocked when he had gotten home later that evening, and that her bookbag was in the living room. She had come home. It was beginning to look as though someone had come right into the house and grabbed her, and that was scarier than anything. I'll never forget the look on Mr. Kinomoto's face. He looked as though he'd aged about a hundred years overnight. Everybody was stumped. Nobody could think why anyone would come to the house to pick her up, there didn't seem to be any motive. They'd been all over the house, but there were no prints of anyone besides me and the Kinomotos, and no signs of a struggle. Touya asked if they'd checked the basement, and they said no, they hadn't realized there was one. He and I led them down there, and that's when we saw them."

"Saw what?"

"Her slippers. And her baton. They were lying on the floor by the last row of books. Her slippers weren't lined up side by side. It looked as though they'd been kicked off, as though maybe she'd been struggling. And her baton right beside them, as though maybe – maybe she'd been trying to defend herself with it. Touya's face lost all color when he saw them, and he almost broke down right there. He loved his sister so much. 

And that was it," she concluded. "They never found a trace of anyone being in the house, and no note arrived for ransom. It was as if she'd dropped off the face of the earth. I had to go to therapy a lot those first few years. I still go, occasionally. I used to love to tape things, especially her, but I never touched a camera after she disappeared. We were best friends."

"I know."

"It was worse for her family. Touya had to drop out of school for the remainder of that year to take care of his father. He got counseling too, but Mr. Kinomoto had to be checked into an institution for a while. After losing his wife, Sakura's disappearance was just too much. He got better after a while, but he had to quit his job. The university felt that he really wasn't up to teaching anymore. Touya finished school, at least, and went on to college, but he never moved out like I know he wanted to. He's too afraid that if he leaves his dad alone, he'll do something, um, unhealthy. He's been trying to convince him to move out for the past couple years, but Mr. Kinomoto doesn't want to. The house holds a lot of painful memories, but because she was never officially declared dead, he's afraid to leave. I think he thinks that if she ever managed to find her way back, she'd have no way of locating him. Touya doesn't like to hold out false hopes, though. He convinced himself a long time ago that she was dead."

"And you?"

Tomoyo was silent for a moment as she looked at her hands.

"I don't really know. It was too horrible to contemplate what must have happened to her, so I tried not to think about it too much. I don't think I ever really thought of her as dead though. It was just too alien; I couldn't make myself do it."

"What about Kero?" Li asked, realizing that she hadn't brought it up. "The Cards?" Tomoyo gave him a blank look. 

"Cards?"

"Yes, what happened to them?"

"What cards?" Something clicked in Li's mind as he looked at her puzzled expression, something that just might explain a few things…

"You said you were nine?"

"Yes."

"Tell me again about that day. Before she left you to go home. Don't leave anything out."

"I told you, it was just a normal day."

"You said you remembered it vividly. Did anything unusual happen, anything just the slightest bit strange?"

"Well, she did drop her baton in practice. That was odd. She never did that."

"Anything else?" She seemed to come to some kind of decision, prodded by his insistence, and she stood.

"Well, there was one other thing…" She looked slightly guilty as she crossed the room to pick up an old antique-looking box. "I never told anybody, because I know I should have never taken it. I knew I couldn't show it to Touya or Mr. Kinomoto, they would never understand. But in my heart, I always wondered if it had something to do with her disappearance."

She was unlocking it now with trembling hands. Tomoyo hadn't opened this box in years, and she wasn't sure why she was doing it for this mysterious, frightening stranger. But there was something in him that drove her to do it. She lifted the lid carefully, and Li saw nothing but a bouquet of dried cherry blossoms. But Tomoyo reached for one side, and withdrew a folded and yellowed piece of notebook paper.

"Her books were just lying there on her desk, after Touya went through her backpack to look for clues. I remembered something odd that she had doodled in class that day, and ripped out the sheet to take it home with me. It was the last thing I would ever receive from her, so I put it in this box. To be with the eraser."

Li didn't know what she meant by eraser, but he had no time to wonder what she meant. She was unfolding it now and handing it over.

"Do you know what this is?"

Li gazed at the childish scribbling. On the far right side was a half-hearted doodle of what looked like a stuffed animal. It was an exaggerated drawing, and the end of his tail had been made to look more like a little heart, but it was still recognizable.

"Yes. It's Kero."

"What's that?"

"He's the Guardian Beast of the Seal."

"The what?" He sighed. He really didn't feel like getting into an explanation, but Tomoyo was at square one. She didn't even know that there was such a thing as magic.

"There was a magical book of Cards in Sakura's basement. She told me about that day. She told me she'd had a dream of Kero the night before, though she didn't mention drawing him in class. And she told me that evening she had heard Kero snoring and went down to the basement to see what the noise was. She had her baton with her. But you taped her that night. You knew about the Cards almost right away." He stood and began to pace.

"You had your camera out that night, didn't you? Were you taping the town at night?"

She nodded, wide-eyed.

"At least I was until I got the phone call from Touya. After that I packed it up and went to bed."

Son of a bitch, thought Li. Somebody – something – snatched her right there in the basement. Her and the book and Kero. The Cards were never even scattered! They're with her, wherever she is. And that's why nobody knows me. That's why I don't have an apartment. With the Cards still in the book, I would have never moved here. But how did this happen in the first place? 

"Tomoyo, I know that this is hard to believe. But Sakura was never kidnapped. The three of us grew to be really good friends. I moved to Japan that May and I helped her capture the Cards. She grew to be a powerful sorceress. I fell in love with her, Tomoyo! We all went out to dinner just last weekend."

"Sorceress? Last weekend?" She looked so confused, and he knew he was rushing it. 

"I know that this is so much to take in, and I know how vulnerable you must feel about Sakura. I know how much you loved her, too. But I swear it, Tomoyo, none of this is real. I wouldn't just imagine all the things that happened to us. I know it happened. But nobody else does, and I don't know why."

He sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, and was surprised to feel her hand on his shoulder.

"I do believe you," she said softly. "I don't know why. You just seem so sincere. And you have too many details. Do you know where she is?"

He shook his head.

"No. I was attacked yesterday in the park, and I don't remember anything that happened beforehand. She might have been with me, but she might not have. And when I woke up, I was in a dimension where nobody knows me and she's been gone for six years."

She spoke again, her voice filled with longing.

"And until yesterday, she was here? Living with her father and going to school with us and everything?"

"Yep. Just like a normal girl. She was still in cheerleading, and she was elected Homecoming Queen last fall. You taped the coronation ceremony. Everything was great." He felt his voice catch as he remembered how beautiful she had looked that night, in her dress that Tomoyo had designed. Now nobody could remember that except for him. 

"And you were in love with her?"

"So much that I could barely stand it. I watched her all the time; I was always looking out for her. You knew; you were the only one that knew. You were always telling me that I should confess it to her, but I was too scared. And now it's too late. I might never get to." He buried his face in his hands as tears began to threaten, the first ones all day. Tomoyo's story had wrenched him, it really had. He felt drained and exhausted, and all he wanted some kind of release.

Tomoyo watched him struggle for control, sympathy welling up within her. She had no reason at all to trust this strange boy, who was bringing up so many painful memories. But when she saw him, she felt a flicker of hope as well. He was the first person who seemed to have some idea of what might have happened to Sakura. Maybe there was a chance after all.

"You have no place to stay tonight, do you?"

"No."

"You can stay here, if you want. It'll be all right."

"Really? You don't mind?" Tomoyo shook her head as she refolded the old sheet of paper and returned it to the box.

"No. I can see that you really do love her. I don't know how it is you're here, but I think you must have come to save her. Save all of us from this miserable life."

"I hope so."

"You can shower if you want. Do you want me to get a maid to wash your clothes?" Li clutched at his shirt protectively and shook his head.

"No. Don't touch them. They might be clues. But I would like to shower, I feel awful. Thanks."

She nodded, and he retreated into the bathroom with one of her boyfriend's gym shirts and jogging pants. He had to take off the bandage to shower, but it felt good to stand under the hot water and feel his muscles relax and unwind. The pain was almost gone now. 

The heat and steam restimulated blood flow, but he covered the wound again securely and dressed himself in clean clothes, folding his khakis and shirt into a neat stack.

The light was off when he returned to the bedroom, with only the paltry moonlight showing through the clouds to give light. She was in a nightgown and pulling back the covers.

"I'll sleep on the floor."

"Oh no," she shook her head quickly. "Please don't. That's not necessary." She patted the sheets beside her, and he climbed uncertainly into bed. He was surprised at how she immediately curled up beside him, pulling his arms around her.

"What about Yuuhi?"

"Oh, Yuuhi. I know how much he loves me, but…no one will ever replace her. A lot of guys have tried over the past few years, but nobody can really reach me. That place that she left empty is still inside me. You're the closest thing; it's almost like I can feel her with you." Tomoyo laid her head against her pillow and closed her eyes. This man was so compelling, and his strong arms so comforting. It was almost as if he'd brought Sakura back to her, even though he said he didn't know where she was. For now, it was the next best thing.

Li felt her breathing grow deep and even, and yawned. He'd been in and out of sleep all day it seemed, but he hadn't gotten the rest that his body still craved. Here, in the quiet calm of Tomoyo's bedroom, he felt his mind shut down at last, and he drifted into sleep.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	4. ch4 basement

Chapter 4 

**'basement'**

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hi Syaoran-kun!"

"Sakura."  He blushed faintly as he stared at the wall and gripped the phone a little tighter.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much.  I was just headed to the library to study for our history test."

"Oh Syaoran-kun."  He could practically hear her roll her eyes.  "As if you don't know the material backwards and forwards."

"It never hurts to be prepared."

"Well, can you take fifteen minutes out of your study time to meet me at the park?"

Li smiled one of his rare smiles.  Could he ever!

"What for?"

"It's a surprise.  I have something that I want to show you."

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

Li bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily.

"Surprise," he panted.  "Show me?  What?  What did you want to show me, Sakura?"

"What?"  Tomoyo was pushing open the bedroom door with her foot, a breakfast tray in her hands.

Frantically Li tried to hang onto the memory, see what happened next, but it was hopeless.  No matter how hard he clenched his fist, the sands of that day were still streaming through his fingers.  

"Nothing," he muttered, burying his head in his hands.  "I thought I had it, for a moment.  I was close.  But it's gone again."

"Oh."  She seemed disappointed, but straightened her shoulders and walked over to the bed.  "I brought up some breakfast for you."

"Arigatou.  I didn't eat at all yesterday."  She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him devour his food.  He was so hungry that it was difficult to concentrate on anything, but after a while he slowed down and noticed that she was wearing her uniform.

"Going to class?"

"In a little while, yes.  I won't be able to concentrate, but Yuuhi will be worried if I don't show, after what happened yesterday.  Unless…"  She looked hopeful.  "Unless you need me to stay with you."

"Thanks, but I don't think so.  I'll call you if I do.  Don't hang up on me this time."

She nodded.

"Are you sure I can't help, somehow?"

"Well… maybe you'll know this.  I need to know where Yukito-san is these days."

"Tsukishiro Yukito?"  Tomoyo looked surprised, then wrinkled her brow.  "Hmm.  It's been a few months since I've seen him, but last I heard, he was still in school.  Kinomoto-kun graduated college and got a job to support himself and Kinomoto-sensei, but Tsukishiro-san went on to the graduate program in psychology.  I don't remember exactly where he lives."

"I do.  But he won't be there in the day."

"What do you need to see him for?  Do you think he can help?"

Li shrugged.

"I don't know.  I can only try, and it's as good a place to start as any."  He gulped some orange juice, then stood to stretch.  He was pleased that he seemed to have completely healed, though it probably wasn't a good idea to take off the bandage just yet.  

He went into her bathroom to change into his clothes, and she reached over to examine something he'd left on her bedside table.

"What is this?"

"What is what?"

"This little, um, trinket?  I'm not sure what it is."

"That's my sword."

"Sword?"

"Yes," he answered, reemerging in the bathroom doorway.  "I'll show you."

It was the work of second to squeeze his fist tight and concentrate, and Tomoyo's eyes popped open with surprise when the sword appeared in his hand.

"Oh my… it's real.  There really is such a thing as magic!"

"Hai," he replied automatically, his mind straying for a moment.  Igniting his sword was the first time he'd tried to work any magic since the hospital, and something about it felt… odd.  

"What is it like?" Tomoyo was asking, oblivious to his distraction.  Li was surprised; she'd never asked that before.  Perhaps she never felt the need to question Sakura about her magic, perhaps it had just been enough for her to tape it.

"Um, I'm not really sure how to explain it.  It's something I can do, like flexing my muscles or taking a step.  It's also like another sense, like touching or hearing.  I can feel an expression of magic."

That was it; that was the oddity.  Until just now, he hadn't so much as caught a whisper of any kind of magic.  Not Sakura's, not anything hostile, nothing.  Only his own.

"Then shouldn't you be able to sense her?" Tomoyo pressed, applying her usual logic to this new concept of sorcery.  Li stared at her, and after a long moment, nodded.

"Yes.  But for some reason, I can't."  

She bit her lip.

"Then doesn't that mean that - "

"It doesn't necessarily mean that Sakura is dead," he interrupted hastily.  At least he hoped it didn't.  The thought of her gone forever was not something he would allow himself to contemplate.  "I can't really sense anything, actually.  Everything has been muted."

"What do you mean?"  

"It's strange…" he murmured.  "I didn't notice it until just now.  There was nothing to notice."  She wrinkled her brow as she tried to follow him, and he tried to explain.  "Picture a drawing in green, except it's been done on a green background of the exact same shade.  If you didn't know the drawing was there, it would look like a simple square of green.  That's what's happened here.  Everything feels the same everywhere, even though I know there should be variations and patterns.  I've got to figure out why and how."

"And then you'll find her?"  There was no mistaking the desperate hope in her voice.  All at once Li realized the responsibility he'd taken on.  Tomoyo had been through a lot these past six years.  If he couldn't deliver, if he couldn't find Sakura, then she would be crushed beyond all repair.  He shouldn't make any promises.

Li withdrew his sword and knelt before her on the bed to take her hands in his.

"I promise, Daidouji.  I will find her, or I will die trying.  A life without Sakura isn't one that I want to live anyway.  And what's more, I will find her today.  I'm sick of all this playing around."

Tomoyo noticed that his eyes had little golden flecks in them as he gazed at her, as serious and determined as any detective had ever been when Sakura first disappeared.  He would be able to do what they had not.  She placed her faith completely in him.

"I know you will.  Good luck.  And call me Tomoyo."  She reached forward and planted a light kiss on his lips, then disengaged her hands so she could stand.  He watched her pick up her bag and move to the door with an expression that was both surprised and pleased.  "Call me if you need me."

And then she slipped out the door and was gone.  Li blew his bangs out of his face and began to pull on his shoes.  He hoped that he hadn't just done something incredibly stupid.  What if he couldn't find her after all?

No. You will.  You can do it, Syaoran.  You're the only one that can.

**

Yukito shuffled his papers into his bag and shouldered it, preparing to leave the Teaching Assistant offices.  He'd been behind lately, trying to write the paper that would be his master's thesis, and he needed to get right home and to work on it.  

Someone entered the office and shut the door behind him.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly.  The boy looked a little young for a college student, and wasn't wearing any school uniform.

"I hope so, Yukito-san.  We need to talk."

Yukito raised his eyebrows.

"Have we met?"

"Plenty of times, but unfortunately, you don't remember it."  Li advanced on Yukito, who backed uncertainly into his desk.  "Please don't be nervous.  I swear I'm not going to hurt you."

"I should hope not," Yukito answered, trying to cover up his fear.  This kid looked slightly unstable, and there was a white bandage covering some injury on his forehead.  "I'm warning you, I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"I know.  Speaking of which, I really need to talk to Yue."  

"Huh?"  Li waited for a second, then exhaled in frustration.  There was only Yukito standing there by his desk, his brown eyes growing more and more uneasy as he watched Li.

"Damn.  I was hoping that maybe – maybe with the Cards not scattered, he might be able to come out.  But I guess not."

"What?"

"But I know he's inside you, and I know he can hear me.  Yue, can you hear me in there?  Are you listening?  My name is Li Syaoran.  I'm a descendent of Clow Reed's, from Hong Kong.  I know you don't know who I am, but believe me when I tell you that I'm a friend of Sakura's.  I'm trying to help her."

Yukito's eyes widened, and he leaned back from Li as though he were dangerous.

"You – you're him.  You're the guy that Toya was talking about."

"Yukito-san, please don't freak out - "

"Get away from us!"  Li should have expected it, but he was surprised nonetheless at the hard shove that Yukito gave him.  He'd never been the violent type.  His friend was circling around, putting the desk in between the two of them.  "Who are you?  Why are you coming around to torture us like this?"

"Yukito-san, I'm not trying to hurt anyone - "

"Well, you are.  Who are you?"

"I'm a friend," Li pleaded.  "I swear it.  And I can prove it.  If you'll just listen to your head - "

"Listen to my head?  What?"  Yukito shook his head in confusion.  "Listen, whoever you are, you've obviously been hurt, you're confused - "

"Everybody stop saying that!  I am _not confused.  I am the _only_ one that is not confused.  I am trying to find Sakura, and no one is making that very easy!  Yukito-san, I know you were her friend, and you were her crush.  But you were also her guardian, even though you didn't know it.  Yue, help me out here.  Please, if you can, talk to him.  Tell him that I'm here to help."_

"Who are you talking to?"  Yukito looked around, but it was just the two of them in the office.  How unstable was this guy?  

"If you would just be quiet and listen - "

"No.  Stop it!  Stop invading our lives like this!  Toya told me that you attacked him, and you attacked Daidouji-san.  Get away from me!"

The phone on Yukito's desk rang, and he jumped for it.  But before he could reach it, Li swept it off his desk.

"The phone," he snarled.  Yukito backed away; Li was starting to look more and more dangerous.  "The damn phone rang, and it was her, and she wanted to show me something.  And I can't remember what!  I don't know what happened to her, it's killing me on the inside.  I know you've felt the same way for six years, Yukito-san.  But you've got to believe that I'm trying to help!"

"Why should I?"

"Do you ever feel like there's someone watching you, Yukito-san?" Li tried.  "Someone who can see everything that you can, and has access to your thoughts?"

"Everybody does.  It's normal paranoia."

"It's not paranoia in your case."  Li took a careful step around the desk, but Yukito just moved around to the far end.  "It's true, for you.  And you know it, deep down inside, you can feel what I'm talking about.  That's because you've got magic, even though I can't feel it."

For a second he thought he saw a flicker of recognition in Yukito's eyes, but then it passed.  

"Get out.  Get out of this office and leave us alone."

He kept saying 'us'.  Li glanced down at the desk and saw a photo by his hands.  A photo of Yukito and Touya, wrestling playfully and smiling at the camera.  Touya couldn't have smiled a lot in the past few years, and Li wondered how often he had gone to Yukito to feel better, to take a few minutes and forget the tragedy.

"Put that down," Yukito snapped, when Li picked up the frame.

"Have you and Kinomoto told anyone about your relationship?"

"No, we – how did you know about that?"

"Everybody knows, where I come from.  But it's a secret now, isn't it?  Kinomoto isn't about to tell his father about you and him, not after everything else that's happened."  Li recalled the day before, how Touya had been carrying a box of donuts to his car.  No two people ever needed a whole box of donuts for breakfast – unless one of those people was Yukito.  He must be eating even more these days, to sustain himself while he waited for a new master that would never come.  

"Kinomoto wants to move out, live with you.  But he's not going to leave his father alone."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because I'm one of your friends, Yukito-san.  You just don't know it.  And I'm Sakura's friend.  I want to help her.  I know you do too.  So please, calm down."  Li returned the photo to the desk and took a cautious step toward Yukito.  This time he didn't retreat, but watched him with wary eyes as he came closer.

"Please.  I'm desperate.  Just relax, and concentrate, and listen.  Do you hear anything?"

They were both quiet for a moment, Yukito uncertain and scared, and Li fiercely hopeful.  He had no idea if Yue could communicate with Yukito in this state, but he knew he had to try.  It was his best lead.

"Do you hear anything?" he asked quietly.  Yukito hesitated, then shook his head, and Li crumpled into a chair.

"Damn," he muttered.  "Yue, Yue, I know you can hear me.  I know you must want to help.  But I'm on my own.  You were never granted the power to take your true form."

Yukito took a step toward the forlorn boy, but jumped when Li shot out of his chair.

"You never took your true form," he repeated, a sudden gleam in his eye.  

"Took my true form?"

"No!  No, you couldn't!  And you never had to draw on a magical power!  Do you know what this means?"

Of course he didn't.  Li felt a little abashed when he saw Yukito shake his head in confusion.  

"It means he can still see!"  Li couldn't afford to waste any more time with Yukito, and he tore out of the office, leaving Yukito to collapse into his chair with relief.  So many painful memories had just resurfaced, so many things that he would have liked to forget.  The year after Sakura's disappearance had been particularly hard on Touya.  

Yukito picked up the photo and absently traced his finger over his lover's face.  Yukito hated to see Touya in pain, and Touya had been upset out of all proportion when he met that boy the day before in the street.  This teenager seemed to bring strife wherever he went.  He knew he should retrieve the phone from the floor and call Touya, tell him about this latest confrontation, but he didn't.  As though his body had a will of its own, Yukito could not get out of his chair.

**

Li paced himself carefully, so as not to bring on a relapse of dizziness, and it was early afternoon before he completed the long walk from the university to the Kinomoto home.  What I wouldn't give for some bus fare.  Why didn't I think to ask Tomoyo for some money?  Oh well, it can't be helped now.  I'm here.

Once again Li was standing in front of her house.  This time there were no cars in the driveway.  Touya was probably still wherever he worked, and who knew where Kinomoto-sensei might have gone.  He would have to wait, again.  He hated all this waiting.  But in the meantime, he wanted to check out the scene of the crime.

Sakura's window was still open from the day before, and Li scaled the tree to clamber through it.  It was the best way he could think of to enter the house, despite the heartache that stirred in his chest at seeing her bare and stripped room.

I wonder how long they waited before packing up her things.  Kinomoto-kun had to do it, I bet.  It must have been incredibly painful.

Li ground his teeth a little and left her room behind, then went downstairs.  Everything on this level seemed more or less the same, although the board that used to bear her name for chores was now missing.  It must have been too painful to erase her name, so they'd taken it down instead.

Who did this?  Who did this to her family?

Li stomped down the hallway and found the basement door.  He had to pull away a desk that blocked his access, and he wondered how long it had been since anyone was down there.

Hinges creaking and protesting, Li pushed the door open and stepped onto the first stair.  Immediately he could feel a rush of power, magic that had been concentrated in this room and pent up for years.  His skin tingled, and he had an eerie vision of Sakura creeping down the stairs in her school clothes.

He took another step.

The white skirt, the navy blouse.  I can see them in my mind, I can see every detail.  I'm not just picturing it.

Another step.

White socks, and her hamster slippers.  A thread was loose on the right slipper.

Another step.

Her hair is in pigtails, like it always used to be.  She was wearing little red bands that day.

Another step.

And she's clutching the baton in her hand.  She can hear… the strange noises.  I can too.  I can hear the annoying gurgling, the rise and fall of the soft sounds.  She wants to determine its source, but she's scared.

Another step.

Don't be scared, Sakura.  It's just Cerberus, snoring.  But there's something else, something that's not supposed to be down here.  

That was the magic that he'd felt upon opening the door.  It was impossible to define it, he only knew that it was a concentration of what he'd been feeling since he woke up in the hospital.  He hadn't recognized it before, since it had been everywhere.  But now he could feel it.

They reached the basement floor at last.

And that, Sakura, you should definitely be scared of.  It's something that has come to hurt you, and it has hurt me too.  I just don't know why.

Now he could see her tiptoe along the rows of books, holding out her baton in a meager defense.  He followed in her footsteps, until she finally reached the last row.

"Aha!"  She paused in surprise by her father's desk.  "There's – no one here."

"There is, though!" Li shouted in warning.  It was pointless; she was only a shadow of the past, and she couldn't hear him.  "Sakura, it's coming for you!  Please run!"  But she didn't, and only crept toward the book that she could see glowing on the shelf.  She was reaching out now, to take it from its place.

Now Li could feel a huge swelling of power, getting ready to unleash itself on the unsuspecting girl.  He felt terror growing within him too, a terror borne of helplessness.  He was witnessing the entire thing, and he didn't want to.  He could do nothing as Sakura held the book in her hands and examined its cover.  Suddenly, on its own, the clasp sprung open, and she gasped and dropped her baton.

This is it, thought Li, panicked.  She's about to open the book and take out Windy, and I know that the Cards aren't scattered.  So it's going to happen now.

He fell to his knees, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene unfolding before him.  Slowly she was opening the book, scared of what she might find inside.

"It's… cards?"

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

"No!" Li shouted helplessly.  He couldn't see anything, but purple spots danced in his vision, like when he looked into the sun for too long.  He pounded his fists, and could feel the floor of the basement beneath them.

No, damn it, no!  It's not fair!  I couldn't see it – it was too bright.  I was blinded, and I couldn't see it!

His vision cleared, and he was alone on the floor.  There was just the baton and the discarded slippers beside him, and then they too faded away as he returned to the present.  

But the upheaval in magic had set his senses free.  They were running over one another in his mind, all scrambling for priority.  It was as if insects were crawling in his mind, and he gripped his hair in his hands, fighting to get them under control.  It was a losing battle, and he fell completely down on the floor, writhing.

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Hello?"

Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Hi Syaoran-kun!"

"Syaoran-kun!"

"Sakura."  He blushed faintly – he blushed faintly as he sta – stared at the wall and gripped the phone a little tighter.

"What's up?"

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Nothing much.  I was just headed to the library to study for – to study for our history test."

"Oh Syaoran-kun."  He could practically hear her roll her eyes.  "Syaoran-kun."  - roll her eyes.  "As if you don't know the material backwards and forwards – backwards and forwards."

"It never hurts to be prepared."

The phone rang.

Ring…

"Hello?"

"Well, can you take fifteen minutes out of your study time to meet me at the park – meet me at the park?"

Li smiled one of his rare smiles.  Could he ever!

"The park?"

"What for?"

"What for?"

"It's a surprise.  I have something that I want to show you – show you."

"Stop it!" screamed Li, but his mind paid no attention.  The scar on his forehead was burning now, it was literally hot to the touch.  And still his mind continued to swirl.

"Thanks for meeting me here – meeting me here, Syaoran-kun.  I – I wanted to show you something."

"Yeah?  What?"

"What?"

She giggled.

"So impatient as always – as always, Syaoran-kun.  I wanted you to be the first – the first to see it.  You were the one that convinced me I should go for it."

"Go for what?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"For this."

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	5. ch5 the photo

****

Chapter 5

'the photo'

Li was gasping for breath by the time the ordeal was over, and he had to pull himself to a standing position by holding onto the bookshelves. He sneezed again; everything was covered in dust down here.

Oh my god. That was excruciating. 

He let out a shuddering breath. 

Please don't let it come at me like that again. I want to know what happened, but I could barely understand what was going on that time. She did meet me though. She was with me after all. Whatever got her knocked me out and left me for dead, right there in the park. 

There didn't seem to be anything down here that could help him now. He was no closer to understanding what had come for her, and he felt traumatized at having witnessed the act itself. He had to get out of here; there were too many unpleasant feelings in this basement. Wearily he plodded up the steps, then pushed aside the desk and shut the door behind him.

A crash made him look up. Down the hallway, by the kitchen, Touya was staring at him in shock, a dish in pieces at his feet.

Uh-oh, thought Li.

"You!" spat Touya, and crossed the length of the hallway in just two strides.

"Now, Kinomoto, calm down - "

"What are you doing in our house?" Li saw the fist coming and ducked, rolling past Touya and then springing to his feet.

"Wait, Touya, please wait. I need to - "

"You need to get out, is what you need to do. Who are you? Why are you coming around and stirring things up? Doesn't it look like we've been through enough?"

Li backed away as Touya advanced on him, full of righteous wrath.

"Yes, yes, you do look it. That's why I'm here, I want to help - "

"No, you want to get out, is what you want. You want to get out and leave us alone, and never come back."

Li caught his fist and threw Touya over his shoulder, gently, so the young man would roll across the wooden floor. He'd obviously kept up with his martial arts training, and he sprang to his feet with his fists up.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want to fight you, Touya. I need you."

"Don't call me that!" Touya shouted. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I'm a friend," Li pleaded. "I mean, you don't like me, in fact you hate me, but I swear I'm a friend!"

"I'm starting to hate you, anyway," Touya grunted as he threw another punch. Li evaded it and resisted throwing one of his own. They couldn't afford to be wasting time like this.

"Touya, please, I want to help! I can help find your sister!"

"My sister is dead," he snarled, and grabbed Li by the collar of his shirt. Li didn't have a chance to wriggle free before he was flying gracefully through the air, and he landed with a crash on the carpet by the armchair. Li gasped, not in pain, but revelation. The memories were flying much faster now, loosened by his experience in the basement. The impact had set something free.

"Thanks for meeting me here, Syaoran. I wanted to show you something."

"Yeah? What?"

She giggled.

"So impatient as always, Syaoran. I wanted you to be the first to see it. You were the one that convinced me I should go for it."

"Go for what?"

"For this."

Proudly she handed him the photo, and his expression softened as he looked at the beautiful girl posing on the studio stool. 

"You're the one that convinced me to try out for the modeling agency, and this is my first professional photo. I want you to have it. As a thank you."

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

Li jerked back to reality just in time to see Touya's knuckles headed for his face, and he ducked.

"Damn it, hold still. You're only delaying the bloody beating that I'm going to give you, kid."

Li slithered around Touya, heading for the table where the family ate.

"Hey, get back here!"

"No! I can help you, Touya! But I've got to make you listen to me first." Touya gasped as Li snatched a framed photo from the table, the one of his mother.

"You put that back right now or I will kill you."

"No! You've got to give me a chance, Touya."

"Stop calling me that! How do you know my name?"

Touya was marching up to Li now, who wasn't running anymore. Instead he was going through his pockets, one by one. He knew there was a reason he hadn't wanted his clothes washed. But which pocket was it? Where had he put it?

"I don't know who you are or how you know so much. But I want you gone."

"Wait," gasped Li. "Wait, hold on!" Touya grabbed his collar again with one hand and raised his fist, prepared to strike a hard blow. "Stop, stop!" At last Li had it, and he held it up alongside the framed photo trying to block his face. "Look at it, Touya! Look at the photo! See how much she looks like your mother? This is Sakura, damn it!"

Tory's fist came to a screeching halt, and his eyes widened. Tentatively he took his mother's photo in one hand, and then released Li so he could take the other.

It was her. There could be no doubt about it. She had the same facial structure as their mother, the exact same eyes. It could have very well been Nadeshiko, but her hair was short and straight, just barely brushing the tops of her shoulders, and she was wearing contemporary clothing. 

Li tried to get his breath back as he watched Touya's face. There was a struggle going on in those dark eyes; a fight between what he knew and what he wanted to believe.

"Do you see?" he asked quietly. Touya felt sandbagged, and he had to back up to sit in one of the chairs.

"Where," he choked, "where did you get this?"

"She gave it to me, Touya. Sakura gave it to me on Saturday. She said she wanted me to have it."

"Saturday?"

"Yes. Day before yesterday. That's when she really disappeared, Touya. I know it's hard to believe, but this past six years never really happened. She's been here, this whole time."

Li wasn't really sure how much the other man was listening to him. He was still staring at the photo, looking as though he'd seen a ghost.

"I know you never really believed she was dead," he continued. "Maybe that's what you told everybody else, maybe that's what you told yourself even, but you never really believed it. Because you never saw her, like you saw your mother."

"How – how do you know about that?"

"I know a lot of things, Touya. You can see things that nobody else can. It's been that way for as long as you can remember. Where I come from - " He stopped himself. It was too complicated to explain about Yue and everything else. All that mattered was that Touya seemed ready to listen.

"Well, I know you can see dead people. And magic. And I can't feel magic here, it's all the same color to me. But I think you can see, if you concentrate and look for it. And maybe you can help me find where she is."

"Magic?"

"Yes. Something magical took her, only I don't know what. It was too bright to see. The same thing gave me this injury. I want to find it, and fight it, and rescue Sakura."

Touya looked up from the photo with a glazed look in his eyes.

"The hardest thing was the not knowing," he said softly. "All the years of wondering, imagining the worst and hoping for an impossible miracle, forcing myself to say she was dead just so I could feel some kind of closure. And now you come here, saying that she only vanished on Saturday, and you think you can rescue her?" 

Li nodded, and Touya had to gulp a little.

"It's a lot to take in."

"I know. But I know that you believe me. You know that that's Sakura in that photo, and you can see how new it is. She gave it to me, and then someone attacked us and took her away. I want to go get her back. Will you help me?"

For a second Li was seized with misgiving. It was all too much; it might be too much for Touya to assimilate. His mind might even crack. But instead the tall man just nodded, and stood.

"Where do we start?"

*****

Touya tapped his hands irritably on the steering wheel as they paused at a red light. He couldn't believe he was doing this, and he cast another sideways glance at the teenager in the passenger seat.

"Do you really think this is going to work? After six years, I think we'd know if she was somewhere still in town."

"I keep telling you, she hasn't been missing for six years. And I think she'll still be close by. Just drive."

The light turned green, and Touya forced down his vexation at being ordered around by this bratty kid. The day was becoming a little surreal, and he had to glance at the photo again to harden his resolve. 

Li leaned his head against the window and watched the beautiful pink clouds of cherry trees on the side of the road. A slight breeze was stirring the branches, and petals flew everywhere.

"Spring is always the worst," Touya commented. "Every year we have to look at those damn trees and be reminded of it all over again. Sometimes I hated my mother for choosing the name Sakura for her daughter."

"I'm sorry," Li muttered, not really sure what to say. "It must have been awful."

"It was."

There was an awkward pause in the conversation as Touya stopped at another red light. Li was still looking out the window when he heard the soft metallic clicks, and glanced over to see Touya lighting a cigarette.

"Since when do you smoke?"

Touya inhaled lovingly and then blew the smoke out of the open window, feeling more relaxed than he had since he'd gotten behind the wheel.

"When do you think?"

Li flushed a little, and Touya pressed on the gas again as the light turned green.

"Tell me about it."

"About what?" The driver tapped his cigarette on the edge of the car ashtray and inhaled again.

"About the life that you know. Where she's still here."

"Oh. Um." Li cleared his throat. Where to start? "Well, she's sixteen, obviously. She and I and Tomoyo are all in the same class at high school. Everybody loves her; she's the most popular girl in school. She's always smiling, no matter what." Li started to warm to his topic. "She's not even a senior, but she's captain of the cheerleading squad, and she got elected Homecoming Queen last fall."

"Boyfriend?"

Li blushed slightly and looked back out at the cherry trees.

"No. I think a lot of guys would like to ask her out, but they're too afraid of – of you." He'd been about to say that they were nervous about him as well, but that was best kept quiet. Touya exhaled another cloud of smoke and allowed himself a small smile. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. Everybody knows that you'd never let anyone touch her. You don't live at home anymore, but she goes to your place all the time to hang out. You moved out last year when you graduated college and started on your chemistry masters. Yukito's in grad school too, like here, for psychology. The two of you live together."

"Uh-huh. And how did Dad take that?"

"Um, pretty well, I think. Sakura said that she thought he was coming to grips with it, slowly, but I know he still talked to you and everything. I think all that mattered to him was that his children were happy. And there was no doubt that Sakura was happy. She used to light up the room with her smile, wherever she went."

Something in Li's tone finally clicked with Touya, and he sent a suspicious glare in his direction.

"You like her, don't you?"

"Uhh…keep your eyes on the road, would you? You're supposed to be searching."

"Don't avoid the question, kid. You do like her." Touya knocked away some more ashes and shook his head. "I should have known. She's not even here and I still have to worry about protecting her from guys like you." 

Li blushed even harder at that.

"Could we not focus on me, please? You're not concentrating. We'll never find her like this!"

"I'm trying, damn it! But I don't know what to look for. If you would tell me - "

"I can't, Touya. I don't know what it looks like to you; we all have different ways of sensing magic. Sakura and I feel it; you're the only one that can see it. You're just going to have to focus. Okay?"

"Fine," Touya snapped.

"Fine."

They rode on in silence for a little while. The sun was beginning to slide out of the sky, and Touya felt a touch of anxiety. He didn't like the thought of his father coming home that evening from therapy to an empty house, and no explanation of where he might be. 

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"No, I'm not. I only know that it's the best chance we have. I'm not going another day without her; I want to find her tonight."

Touya only grunted at that, and they fell into silence again. Li had forgotten how much he disliked spending time with this man, and mentally promised vengeance upon whatever it was that had put him in this position. 

Then he leaned his head against the window again and closed his eyes. His head was starting to hurt again, and he'd felt a little run down since his trip to Sakura's basement. The car was calm and quiet, and the purr of the engine a soothing whisper in his mind.

"Thanks for meeting me here, Syaoran. I wanted to show you something."

"Yeah? What?"

She giggled.

"So impatient as always, Syaoran. I wanted you to be the first to see it. You were the one that convinced me I should go for it."

"Go for what?"

"For this."

Proudly she handed him the photo, and his expression softened as he looked at the beautiful girl posing on the studio stool. 

"You're the one that convinced me to try out for the modeling agency, and this is my first professional photo. I want you to have it. As a thank you."

Li felt his cheeks flushing. 

"You want me to have this? Really?" She nodded happily.

"Sure. I owe it all to you. You've always been there to back me up and support me, whether it was capturing and transforming Cards, or stuff like this. I don't know where I'd be without you."

She patted his arm and smiled.

"You're one of my best friends, and you always will be."

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

Li jerked awake with a yelp that startled Touya so much they almost went off the road.

"Hey, watch it! I'm trying to drive here!" He glowered at the young man, who was panting hard. "What? What is it?"

"I'm getting closer," Li gasped. "So much closer. I've almost got the entire day back. If I could just concentrate a little harder - " He was almost thrown against the dashboard when Touya slammed on his brakes. "Hey, what's with you?"

Touya wasn't paying any attention to him. The cigarette was gone and he was gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles and scrunching up his nose as he stared out the windshield.

"You said I would just have to focus a little, and I would see it?"

"Yeah…"

"I think I see something. Now that I'm looking really, really hard." Touya nodded his head toward the building up the road, and Li followed the direction of his gaze.

"Oh no." Li felt his shoulders slump a little as he realized what Touya was looking at. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?"

"I guess I should have expected this," Li muttered. "But it didn't even occur to me."

"What? What?"

"That building," Li explained in a resigned manner. "Is where a very powerful magician used to live. I guess Hiiragizawa never came to live in it." Touya looked a little puzzled at his rambling. "You're absolutely sure?"

"Positive. There's this red haze clinging to the house, like a mist. It's creepy looking."

"Then let's go." Li opened his door and got out, followed a second later by Touya.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	6. ch6 reflections

****

Chapter 6

'reflections'

The hairs on the back of Li's neck were standing straight up, and his skin was tingling like mad. But this was no time to succumb to nerves.

"Ready?" he whispered, and Sakura's brother nodded. "Okay, then. Here we go."

Li wasn't sure what he was expecting when he opened the door, and when he turned the knob and pushed, he felt disappointed. There was nothing but silence to greet him and Touya - silence, and that concentrated feeling of magic again. 

"It feels like your basement," he murmured, which made Touya raise his eyebrows. They crept through the doorway and Li shut the door softly behind them.

"Now what?"

"I don't know."

"This is some rescue."

"Shut up." Li threw him an annoyed look and turned to walk down the hallway. The silence was oppressive and the dark house intimidating, but it was still better than talking to Touya.

*****

"Can't believe how big this place is," Touya muttered after a while. They'd been combing the rooms on the lower floor for several minutes without a word, and he couldn't stand the silence any more. "It's like a maze."

Maze…Something nagged at Li, but it was gone again before he even had a chance to think about it. He shook his head to clear it.

"You've been here before, you know. You starred in a movie in this house."

"A movie?"

"Class project." Li raked his fingers through his hair and looked around, fruitlessly. The shadows weren't revealing anything, threats or clues. "Sakura and Yukito-san were in it too. That was the last day that you could see things – and the first that she even knew you could." He paused, fidgeting. "Are you sure you can't see anything in here?"

"Don't you think I'd tell you if I did?"

"Okay, okay." Li pushed open the door and continued down the hallway, Touya following in a huff. "You don't have to cop an attitude about it."

"Like it's somehow my fault that we can't find her. You're the one with all the answers, I don't see you doing anything useful. At least I could see the house."

"Which has gotten us absolutely nowhe - "

Touya glanced up when Li broke off. He was staring into space and scowling in concentration.

"What?" Li held up a hand, signaling silence, and Touya shut his mouth. They remained still for another minute, then Li shook his head again in frustration.

"I thought I had it, for a second. But it's gone now."

"Had what?"

"Her sense." Li took a step back on the plush red carpet, wrinkling his nose. "For just a heartbeat, I could feel her presence."

But now there was nothing. They weren't even near a room, there was only the long dark hallway. There was nothing to see, except his own puzzled reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. 

Where did it come from? I know I felt it; I felt it as surely as if she was standing right by me. Where is she? Why can't I find her?

Touya finally had to pull him away from the mirror. 

"Come on, what are you looking at? We need to get to the rest of this house."

"You're right," Li said uncertainly, gazing at the dusty mirror until it disappeared into the darkness. "We've got to keep going. It's a big house."

It is a big house. Nothing less than grandiose for my old ancestor. But why his place at all? There's a lot of magic lingering in the atmosphere of this building. Like I was thinking yesterday in the park, some places on earth are just more receptive to magic. Perhaps 'his' power is concentrated by dwelling here.

His mind occupied, he almost missed the moving form in front of him and raised his fists in startled reflex. The other one did too, and he realized that he was looking into another mirror, almost of ceiling height. Funny. He didn't remember there being so many mirrors in this house before. Why would the furnishings of the house be different?

Now that he was looking, he could see many more, lining the walls around them. They wandered into a complicated suite of rooms, reflections moving and twisting in their peripheral vision.

"Creepy," said Touya aloud, voicing Li's thoughts. 

"These weren't here before. I'm sure of it. We must be getting closer." Touya nodded and reached out to touch one. Li didn't like that and was about to warn him away, but nothing happened when he laid a hand on it.

"Does it feel any different?"

"Nope. Just feels like glass."

"Huh." Li reached out and touched a mirrored surface, tentatively. It tingled and created an uncomfortable buzzing feel in his skin, and he pulled away at first. But then he nerved himself and reached out again, noting that when he moved his hand, the sensation seemed to get stronger. "I think I feel something. Follow me."

His hand hurt, but he ignored the pain as he followed the wall. It was definitely becoming stronger, and he looked over his shoulder to ask Touya if he could see anything yet. That was when he realized that he could no longer see any movement except for his own reflections.

"Touya? Kinomoto?"

No reply, and Li blew his bangs out of his eyes with frustration. 

"Damn. Couldn't he have kept up?"

No time to worry about it now; he was on his own to face the threat. With his left hand, he pulled out his pendant and activated his sword.

*****

"Damn. Couldn't he have kept up?" Touya scowled at his reflections upon realizing that he was alone. Where had that bratty kid got off to?

"Li?" he tried again, knowing it was hopeless. Somehow, he'd wandered right into the thick of all the mirrors; he couldn't even see any bare walls anymore. He was surrounded, and the more he tried to find a way out, the closer and closer they stood together until it seemed he was trapped. Trapped in a maze of mirrors.

He clenched his fists, trying to dispel the growing fear. He was being penned in, and he didn't like that. Something was obviously aware that he was here, and determined that he not be allowed to continue any further into the house.

"I don't know who you are," he said aloud. "Or what you are. But I want my sister back."

He had a heartbeat's warning: a bright flash in his mind, a sense of a powerful force rolling in and crashing headlong into his own will. Just in time he ducked and covered his head with his arms. The force hit, and all the mirrors around him shattered. Tiny slivers of glass flew in all directions, and he winced from the sharp pains on his skin.

***** 

"Ouch!" There was a sudden burst of pain in his fingertip at the same moment the sensation of magic swelled in his mind, and he cringed. But there was no attack, no bright flash of light, nothing rushed forth from the shadows to challenge him. Feeling almost let down, Li put his finger in his mouth and sucked instinctively. 

"Thanks for meeting me here, Syaoran. I wanted to show you something."

"Yeah? What?"

She giggled.

"So impatient as always, Syaoran. I wanted you to be the first to see it. You were the one that convinced me I should go for it."

"Go for what?"

"For this."

Proudly she handed him the photo, and his expression softened as he looked at the beautiful girl posing on the studio stool. 

"You're the one that convinced me to try out for the modeling agency, and this is my first professional photo. I want you to have it. As a thank you."

Li felt his cheeks flushing. 

"You want me to have this? Really?" She nodded happily.

"Sure. I owe it all to you. You've always been there to back me up and support me, whether it was capturing and transforming Cards, or stuff like this. I don't know where I'd be without you."

She patted his arm and smiled.

"You're one of my best friends, and you always will be."

Li desperately tried to thwart the rush of blood to his cheeks, but he knew it was hopeless. In an attempt to hide his face, he enveloped her in a spontaneous hug. He could feel her muscles tense up in surprise – demonstrations of affection were so rare for him – but then she relaxed and returned the hug, giving a little sigh as she did so.

Funny that she would sigh. Almost as if she wanted it to go further than that, just like he did. She had called him, after all, come to meet him specifically, in a private place so that she could give him this photo. He looked at it again behind her back. She had given it to him. She wanted him to have it. In a way, it was almost as if she'd given him a piece of herself.

"You'll always be more than a friend to me," he murmured in her ear. He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath, and felt his face go scarlet again. He hadn't meant to say that out loud!

She pulled away, but not too much. Just enough to look into his eyes, her face so close that their noses were almost touching.

"Syaoran…" The word was hardly more than a breath of air, but there was no mistaking the acute longing in her green eyes. And then Li knew there was no turning back at this point, and he leaned in. His lips brushed over hers, and he half expected her to back away. But her arms were still around his neck, and she pulled herself closer, meeting him in the kiss. And it tasted like heaven.

Li pulled his finger out of his mouth, aware that tears were starting to well up in his eyes. 

The kiss seemed to go on forever, but when they finally pulled apart, it hadn't been nearly long enough. He wasn't sure what to say in the silence that followed, as they looked into each other's eyes, yet the pause wasn't awkward. Rather, it seemed expectant.

"I love you," he said, simply. Her eyes widened, but she didn't really seem shocked. She looked blissful, rather, as though she was flying on a cloud of happiness that no one could touch. Li watched her smile grow, thinking that she had never looked more beautiful. And the only thing that could make the moment more perfect was what she said next.

"I love you too." 

There was a soundless explosion, a bright flash that seared his eyes and burned into his brain.

And there was darkness.

The tears were running down his face and dripping off now, and Li dropped his sword to the floor, then followed it, sinking onto his hands and knees. He was breathing hard now, wheezing, struggling to maintain control.

I – I told her. I did it! After five long, miserable years of hemming and hawing and watching from the sidelines, I actually had the courage to say it. I told her that I loved her, and she told me she loved me too – and I _forgot the entire thing_.

He squeezed the thick material of the carpet between his fists, almost tearing it right out. Of all the terrible things that Sakura's kidnapper had done, by far this crime was the most heinous. He had robbed Li of his most precious moment with Sakura, a moment that he had been waiting for for five years.

"Oh Sakura," he cried. "I love you. I finally said it and I almost forgot it! I want to say it again. I want to see you again. Where are you?"

*****

He didn't know how long he remained there, on his hands and knees, fighting off this bleak depression. But gradually his heavy breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed, and he became aware of himself. There was still a job to be done, Sakura still needed to be found. It was pointless to stay here on the floor feeling sorry for himself.

Wearily he climbed to his feet and gripped his sword. The mirror still burned under his touch, but he set his jaw against the pain and started walking.

The mirrors were everywhere, but he kept his hand on the glass, following the trail of power, and didn't get lost in the maze. He was so sure that it would end with an enemy, or a threat, or something, that when he finally reached an empty room he almost started crying again. There was nothing in this little room, nothing but a velvet lounge and mirror that completely covered one wall. And no way out except that that he had come in. 

Now what?

Overcome with despair, he sat down on the carpet with a thump and leaned against the lounge, staring miserably at his reflection.

What am I going to do? This is it – I'm out of ideas. I've got nothing left, no way of finding her. It's the end of the line.

Panic brushed the edge of his mind, but he would not give in, not yet. 

What's the one thing I've been trained to do since I was a child? Never give up. Even if my only recourse is to sit still and think, then that is what I will do. 

He shut his eyes and concentrated, stretching out with his senses and trying to relax. He kept his breathing light but steady.

In and out. In and out.

His eyes opened. Was it his imagination or – 

No. No, he could definitely hear it. Extremely light, shallow breathing that was matching his own. 

He held his breath and listened. After a moment he could hear a whisper of a sigh, and then the rhythmic breathing again. A stray memory clicked: listening to Kero, snoring in the basement as Sakura crept down the stairs.

It's someone sleeping.

He glanced around, but he was alone in the room. There was nobody there, and yet he could hear it. Unconsciously he matched his own breathing to the other, inhaling and exhaling in unison. 

In and out. In and out.

He was falling into himself, focusing on the breathing until there was nothing else in the world. It was just him, and the faint exhalation. Nothing but Li and the sounds. Everything else was gone. There was nothing…

In and out. In and out.

It was barely a whisper, but it had become a roar in his ears. It was in front of him. He knew it, knew it as sure as he knew his own name. His eyes were open, unseeing, in his meditation, and he had to refocus his vision on the mirror in front of him.

And there she was. In the same white cotton blouse with crochet trim that she'd been wearing on Saturday, and the full, long white skirt. The lounge behind him was empty, but the mirror's reflection showed her draped across it like a Persian cat. Her eyes were closed and her expression peaceful as she slept. 

Sakura. My love. You're alive after all, and you're not hurt.

The relief and joy of seeing her was overwhelming, and at first all he could do was look. He wanted to fill his eyes with the sight of her, drink her in. It was a full minute before he stood and crossed the room to rap lightly on the glass.

"Sakura," he whispered. "Sakura, wake up." He tapped harder, not wanting to alert whoever it was that kept her there, but anxious to get her attention. He felt a twinge of concern that she wouldn't be able to hear him, trapped in the mirror like she was, and then another greater one. What if she opened her eyes and had no idea who he was? What if she looked at him uncomprehendingly?

He swallowed his fear and spoke louder.

"Sakura, can you hear me? Wake up, please, wake up!"

He was louder than he intended; fear had lent volume to his voice. But it had the desired effect, at least. Her eyes fluttered slightly and she murmured something.

"Sakura, please, you've got to wake up! Can you hear me, Sakura?" She twitched, and then her eyes opened. For a moment she just stared at him, confusion evident in her green eyes. Li's breath caught in his throat and he placed both hands on the glass in a futile attempt to reach out and touch her. She didn't know him. She didn't know him. She didn't know – 

"Syaoran?"

He let out a shuddering breath and whispered a prayer of gratitude. Thank god.

"Yes! It's me. Are you all right? I've come to get you."

She rose from her position, a little unsteady on her feet, but glowing with happiness to see him. 

"You came," she whispered. "Oh god, you're here. Syaoran…" She wanted to throw herself in his arms, but it was impossible. All she could do was place her hands against his on the glass and press close, as if by sheer force of will she could break through. There was a strange look in his eyes.

"You know me."

"Of course I know you. Why wouldn't I?" He gazed down at her with a tender expression of longing.

"And – you remember what I said to you on Saturday?"

A faint blush appeared on both their faces, and she nodded.

"How could I forget?"

Indeed, thought Li. How could she? She knew, finally, after all these years, she knew the truth. But he said it again anyway, just because he wanted to.

"I love you."

"Yes. I love you too." He leaned down slightly, knowing that he couldn't kiss her but so desperate to do it anyway that he pressed his lips on the glass. His eyes were closed, but he knew she was doing the same thing.

Finally he pulled away and straightened.

"We've got to figure out a way to get you out of this mirror. Who put you in there?"

She looked puzzled.

"I'm not in the mirror."

"Yes you are," he protested. He could see it, she was right in front of him. Wasn't she?

She frowned slightly, looking at the room behind her and then the room that she could see behind him. 

"I think – I think you're in the mirror, Syaoran. You're the one that's trapped."

He felt a flicker of surprise, then realized that it made perfect sense. Of course. That was why everything felt the same. This world was a creation, the product of one magical source. How was he supposed to escape?

"You have to get out, Syaoran, but I don't know how. He's taken the Cards - "

"Who?"

She bit her lip and looked down.

"He only calls himself my new master. I don't know what his name is. But he's powerful. He's also coming."

It took a second for that last part to register, and he just barely had time to notice her muscles tensing up in fear before a shadow fell across the doorway of the room. Her kidnapper, the one who had inflicted so much pain on all her friends and family, the one that had attacked and left Li for dead, stepped into the room.

He was hardly more than a teenager. Li inhaled sharply, and the young man glanced his way with a mild expression of surprise on his handsome features. Surprise, but not apprehension. Li's presence obviously didn't threaten him at all.

"Well, well. So you did find your way here. I wondered if you would. Clever of you to use the brother."

"Who are you?" Li snarled. "What do you want?" The blonde young man gave him a patronizing smile but didn't answer his questions. Instead he asked one of his own.

"How does your head feel, Li? Nasty knock you got there."

Sakura glanced back at Li and for the first time noticed the bandage on his head. 

"Oh Syaoran…" Unconsciously she reached forward, but she couldn't touch. "Are you hurt? Is it bad?"

He shook his head.

"No, it's not bad." Then he noticed something too, little red flecks across the front of Sakura's blouse. That was his blood. With a rush, the rest of the day spilled into his mind – the sudden feeling of magic, the premonition of an attack. Himself, slipping the photo into his pocket before reaching for his sword and shouting a warning to Sakura and then – 

"And then the bright flash," finished her captor, with a lazy wave of his hand. "It didn't quite finish the job. It was meant to kill you. Your magic was stronger than I thought." A little smile tugged at the corners of his cruel mouth. "But you were knocked into my little world, and I think that's even better. Poor Li, trapped forever in a dimension with no Sakura. Most amusing."

Li slammed his fists into the mirror in a sudden burst of fury, but the glass was implacable and solid. It didn't crack. 

"Who are you, dammit?"

"I'm the thief in the night, Li. The one who gets whatever he wants. Speaking of which…" 

He took a step closer to the mirror and held out his hand for Sakura, who shrank back.

"No," she whimpered. "Not again. Stay away!"

Not _what_ again? fretted Li, pushing his hands against the mirror fruitlessly. He wanted to take her in his arms, carry her away from their enemy, but he was powerless.

"Come now, Sakura, I used up a lot of energy attacking your brother just now. I need a recharge."

She tried to bolt away, but he was too quick for her. His hand closed over her wrist, and the effect was immediate. She staggered and almost dropped to the floor, and he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, both of them facing the mirror.

"My name is Vispilio," he said calmly to the fuming Li. "I take what I wish, when I wish."

Sakura looked terrified, but she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She struggled feebly in his arms to no avail.

"I have a unique ability," Vispilio continued, "to draw power from those around me. It's what's enabled me to live as long as I have." He was squeezing tighter, and Li watched Sakura's eyes start to close. "I never dreamed Sakura had so much power to give, or I would have come to Japan much sooner, but no matter. There's plenty now for me to consume. And as I'm sure you've noticed, one of my more interesting abilities is to snatch my prey whenever I choose, whatever moment in time they are most vulnerable."

He stressed the word _vulnerable_ ever so slightly, and leaned down to kiss Sakura lightly on the neck. Sakura's head dropped back against his shoulder; she was asleep once more.

"Stop it!" Li barked and banged his fists against the mirror again. "Stop that, let her go!"

"Not likely, Li, her power is much too delicious. The more I taste the more I want." He kissed her again, this time on the top of her head, and she went totally limp. Gracefully he picked her up off her feet and held her in his arms. Li was kicking and punching the mirror now, despite his aching hands, but his furious strikes only drew a smile of complacence from Vispilio. 

"You can beat your head against the wall all you like, but a dimensional barrier simply isn't that easy to break. Go back to Hong Kong, Li, forget about Sakura. She's mine now, and will be for the rest of her life. She's my new source of power, and with the strength of the Cards, she's going to last a long, long time."

"No!" In desperation he swung his sword at the glass, and winced at the recoil. Pain reverberated up and down his arm, but he couldn't give up now. "You can't do this, she's not yours!"

"She is now."

Tenderly Vispilio laid her down on the velvet lounge again. Her expression was calm and untroubled despite all the noise that Li was making. How often had he stolen her power, how often had she been reduced to this state? Would it happen again, over and over for the rest of her life, until he'd depleted her completely? Was that how it would end?

He stopped struggling and stood still for a moment, glaring at her tormentor and clutching his sword while he tried to get his breath back.

"You're nothing," he said in a low, bitter voice. "You're just a thief who can't even generate his own magic. You have to steal from others, take what's rightfully theirs. You're just a parasite. And I could kill you so easily if I had the chance."

Vispilio just gave him another mocking smile. 

"But you're not going to get the chance, are you? You're trapped forever… helpless…alone…."

Li tried to ignore his smirk as he gripped his sword tighter. There had to be a way. He just had to think. Think, damn it, think! There's always a way, there's always a way, there's always a – 

Way. He had to have a way here. He created it when he took her and set this dimension down an alternate path, but he had to have a way to the other side of the mirror. 

Vispilio must have sensed the difference, and his smile turned uneasy.

"Go home, Li. You'll never find the way here, you aren't nearly strong enough. Just forget, and go home."

"I'm not as helpless as you think I am," Li corrected him. "And you're not the first to make that mistake."

He leveled his sword at the mirror with cold determination in his eyes.

"I'm coming for her." Before the other man could reply, he turned and dashed out of the room. Behind him, he could hear an authoritative shout for him to stop, but he paid no attention. He raced down the corridor of mirrors, pouring every ounce of energy he still had into running. He'd been one of the best, once, only Sakura had ever beat him in a sprint. 

He ducked his head and tried to cover his eyes as the mirrors around burst apart with loud shattering sounds. Shards of glass flew everywhere, but he would not be detained. Instead he just pumped harder, a heartbeat ahead of the mirrors exploding behind him. 

Abandoning all pretenses of subtlety, Vispilio was turning and twisting the mirrors, throwing dazzling bright lights into Li's eyes. It would blind him, he knew, so he shut his eyes and let his senses lead him. 

He knew where he was going, all of his earlier confusion had been swept away. He should have realized at the time, of course, but he'd been distracted. The one time, the only other time he'd sensed anything at all besides Vispilio's magic was when he passed that first mirror. In the brief second that he'd felt it, he'd recognized it as hers, but it was too quick for him to grasp the implications. He should have known…

His senses clamored a warning and he skidded to a halt before turning a sharp right, his eyes still firmly shut. He heard something crack and explode a second later. 

All I felt was something that was different from the rest of this world. It was so quick, or I might have realized that it wasn't her after all. After so many years, they almost feel the same. They practically are the same. They feel just like her. It was the Cards that I sensed. 

And now he could feel them again. Just a quick flicker, barely registering on his radar, but he jerked to a stop and opened his eyes. It was the same mirror, but in his heightened state of awareness he was no longer looking at his reflection. He was looking at the book. It was pink, it was the book of Cards that he knew, which he found confusing. Why were Sakura and the book the same – it seemed as though they should be products of this new world. 

In his mind's eye, Li saw the baffling puzzle that the Maze Card had once created. The twisting stairways that defied gravity and connected to each other in ways that were incomprehensible were an analogy for these twisted realities. He didn't understand how it all worked, but he knew that he was a disruption in the perfect connections. He was the only thing that didn't fit. He had no way of knowing what would happen when he raised his sword to stab the Gateway; he only knew that he had to try.

Nothing happened at first. The metal tip slid smoothly through the glass as though it were only water. Li heard a howl of frustration from somewhere in the house just before his sword touched the floating book, and he felt a rush of power travel up through his arms. It felt a little like when he used to activate a Card by touching one with his sword, but different, more powerful. Li shut his eyes again when a peculiar nausea overtook him, a strange feeling like he was being turned inside out. When it passed, he dared to open his eyes and found himself staring at his reflection once more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	7. ch7 denouement

****

Chapter 7

'denouement'

Everything was quiet. Only his labored breathing echoed in the hallway, and he wondered uneasily what had just happened. Did it work? What was 'it' anyway? What had he done? His foot bumped against something and he looked down to see the book lying innocuously on the floor.

He knelt and opened it hesitantly, but there was nothing inside but the stack of pink cards. Where's Kero? Shouldn't he be here? He was taken along with Sakura and the Cards…but he wouldn't be in the pink book. He would have only been in the Clow book. It doesn't follow.

Li got a little lump in his throat as he closed the book again and stood. Somewhere in the complicated crossover between one reality and another, the little beast had been completely erased. They may have never gotten along, but Li felt pained at his absence. He'd been hoping for advice, but no such luck. He was still on his own.

At least I got the Cards. Now I just have to get her. 

*****

Nothing attacked him as he retraced his steps through the house, no one came forth to confront him. Things were different; the mirrors were gone, except for a couple here and there. Touching them produced no sensation, but Li didn't really feel lost. He couldn't quite explain it, he just knew the right path. It didn't occur to him until he'd almost reached the room again that he could sense Sakura. 

She's here. I can feel her again! She's in my reality – or I'm in hers. Either one. 

He almost smiled as he strode through the doorway but remembered his danger just in time and ducked. Even through closed eyes he could see the burning flash of white light.

"How dare you!" Vispilio screamed. "How dare you invade my stronghold and take those Cards! You had no right!"

Li kept his eyes firmly shut.

"It's not your stronghold – you took it. They're not your Cards, either. You can't do anything on your own, you have to steal everything. You're pathetic!"

He sensed another swelling of power, but he stood his ground. He was beginning to understand, starting to realize the depths of their enemy's power. It was misdirection, deception, and flashy lights. Nothing of real substance. He had to attack Sakura when she was just a nine year-old girl, not even come into her sorcery powers yet. He hadn't even really given Li that head injury - blinded, Li had tripped and hit his head on a sharp rock. He remembered the whole thing. As long as he kept his eyes shut, he would be all right.

"You'll never win just standing there with your eyes closed," the other man sneered. "You're helpless, you don't even know how to attack."

Li took a cautious step forward, then stopped. His senses were deceiving him, he could feel Sakura in two different places. No, no they weren't deceiving him. Vispilio had been stealing her power; magically he would feel like her. 

"You don't where I am," the voice taunted. Li gripped his sword handle a little more tightly. "Is it Sakura you feel? Or me? You'll never know until it's too late."

Vispilio allowed himself a small smile as he laid a hand over Sakura's brow. It was an action that most associated with love and concern, something people did for their sick and feverish friends. But he was drawing more power from her, rather more than he would have liked. It was not desirable to deplete her too fast, it was wiser to only draw small amounts in order to keep her alive longer. But if he could gather enough, he would be able to throw a real attack at the invader. The boy would never be able to defend himself.

Li sensed the shift in power and tensed. He was an easy target, he knew, without his eyes open he couldn't even see what was coming. Fear fluttered in his mind, but he forced himself to breathe, to inhale deeply and fall into himself again. If it had worked before, it could work again.

Concentrate. Focus. You're too strong to let this man win, Syaoran. You know you can do it.

He scowled as his senses stretched out. He could sense two auras that felt like hers. They were right next to each other. Identical – almost. 

After so many years of fighting by her side, I should know her. I know her better than anyone else. I should know which is hers.

They were both weaker than she normally felt, which was to be expected. Her power had been split between two. But one of them was slightly different. It was twisted, polluted, stained by its new host. It was barely recognizable, but it was enough for Li. Sending a brief mental prayer upwards, he stepped forward and snapped his arm out in a smooth motion. The sword left his hand – he could almost hear it sing as it flew through the air – and then there was a sickening grunt of pain. 

Timidly Li opened his eyes. Vispilio had been pinned to the wall behind him with the force of Li's throw. He looked at the sword handle, quivering slightly, and then at Li with a glazed look of disbelief on his face. 

"How…how…" he choked and raised his hand as if to throw out one last attack before completely giving up. Li raised his arms in defensive stance, but it was unnecessary. Vispilio's eyes rolled back in his head and his hand dropped to his side. The life had left his body.

But what about his victim? Li rushed to her side and laid a hand on the side of her face.

"Sakura? Sakura, can you hear me? Wake up, please." She stirred slightly under his touch but she did not awaken. There was no telling how much of her power he'd taken, she might be like this for a while. Another memory flashed through his mind. Not one from the past few days, but one from many years before. The roles had been reversed, and it was Sakura that was leaning over him, playing the part of the prince who had come to rescue Sleeping Beauty. The distance between them had been too great then, a kiss was something that was not to be contemplated.

But not anymore. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, reveling that he could. Maybe she couldn't feel it, but he knew that she would want it. And that felt more wonderful than anything.

After he pulled away, she stirred again and he thought he saw a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Syaoran…" she sighed in her sleep, and he smiled.

"I love you, Sakura."

He scooped her up in his arms to take her home.

*****

He was tired, and although she wasn't particularly heavy, it was a pretty fair distance. Li was ready to drop by the time he reached the Kinomoto home. Impatiently he kicked at the door and moments later, Touya threw it open. It looked as though he hadn't slept very well lately, and he almost collapsed with relief when he saw the two of them.

"Oh thank god," he gasped. "She's okay. She is okay, right?" Li saw him looking at the flecks of blood across her blouse, and he nodded tiredly.

"She's okay. That's my blood. You – you know me?"

"Know you?" Touya gave him a puzzled look, and Li swallowed. He couldn't really be sure…he didn't know exactly what happened when he stabbed that mirror.

"What's the first thing you ever said to me?" Now Touya was looking at him even more strangely.

"Get away from my sister'. Still applies, actually." Anxiously Touya lifted her from Li's arms and carried her into the house. The book was lying on her stomach and he pushed it off onto the floor as he laid her down on the couch. His sister seemed peaceful, as though she was only sleeping, but he couldn't calm the panic that had been building since Saturday. When their father left for his weekend conference, it had been her intention to sleep on the couch at his place, but she'd never come that night. He and Yukito had been crazy with worry all weekend.

"Kero!" he shouted. "Get down here! She's all right, Li's brought her back!"

The little flying bear floated down the stairway and went to examine Sakura, much to Li's relief. Kero was all right. Everything was all right. It was all back to the way it was supposed to be.

He couldn't ever remember being so tired, and he sank into the chair opposite the couch. Touya was glaring at him, of course, but that was to be expected.

"What the hell happened on Saturday, where have the two of you been? We've all been worried sick, you know that?"

"I know."

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself, huh? What happened?"

Li looked at Touya's angry expression, and Kero's suspicious one. What was the point in trying to explain? What good could come of them knowing of that other hellish place? It had been destroyed, hopefully, with Vispilio's death, all traces of that misery-stricken dimension were wiped out. He was the only one that would ever know.

"Don't just sit there and look at me, gaki, what the hell happened? You can't just disappear with her for three days and not say anything! You know how long that is?"

"Be grateful, Touya," Li said hollowly. "Be grateful that it wasn't any longer than that."

Touya hesitated and exchanged glances with Kero. Already Li was leaning his head back against the chair and falling asleep. In contrast with Sakura's peaceful expression, Li had a haggard look; some kind of horror that he'd seen had been imprinted in his eyes. Suddenly, Touya decided that he didn't really want to know. All that mattered was that she was back, and seemed all right. He should call Yukito and Tomoyo so they could stop worrying. 

After asking Kero to stay with Sakura, he stood and began to cross the room. Li was fast asleep, totally succumbed to exhaustion, and for the first time Touya noticed the bandage on his head. It didn't look too serious, but he leaned slightly forward to check anyway, and saw that Li had been clutching something tightly to his chest. As his muscles relaxed in his sleep, it slipped through his grasp and fell onto the chair cushion.

It was a photo. Touya picked it up. He hadn't seen it before, but he knew this must be the photo from her first modeling job last week. It was just an ordinary photo, nothing unusual or special about it, but Touya had to swallow when he looked at it. 

It had been years since Touya felt anything like a sensation of magic, but there was an uncomfortable tingling in his mind when he examined the image. Odd and erratic sensations flickered and died: misery, loneliness, uncertainty, grief…

He shivered and dropped the photo back onto the chair, then looked at Sakura to reassure himself that she was still there. He had the strangest feeling that a real tragedy had been avoided, somehow.

I don't understand. And I know that I don't want to. I'm going to go call Yukito now.

Touya turned on his heels and left the room.

The girl in the photo continued to smile.

THE END

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

Peacewish: Well?

Sakura: (shivers) Ooh. Creepy. That was really sad.

Li: I think I was a trifle sappy in it. And you promised!

Peacewish: I know, I know. I swear, never again. I just had to do it this time, though; it fit the idea so perfectly. 

Li: I did like the scene where I got to throw my sword through him. That was cool.

Peacewish: I knew you would like that part. But that wasn't the reason I wrote it. 

Touya: Uh-oh. She's got that look in her eyes again.

Li: Don't tell me this story was about – 

Peacewish: Politics. Sort of. I was inspired to write this the week that Chandra Levy was found. Living in Washington, DC, when they found her body in Rock Creek Park, it was all I heard about for the next couple weeks. 

Sakura: That was so sad!

Peacewish: Yes. The coverage got on my nerves, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the family. I wondered what it would be like to have someone in your life simply disappear – not knowing whether they were alive or dead, or why anyone would want to hurt them. I thought it must have been kind of relief for them to at least know what happened, even if it was still terrible. And then I got the idea for this story.

Tomoyo: I think I'm going to cry. Pass me that kleenex, Sakura.

Peacewish: Along with my sympathy for the family, the whole experience left me with a pronounced distaste for – 

Li: And here we go.

Peacewish: Politicians. I have no way of knowing if Condit was connected to her death or not, but the congressmen and bureaucrats of DC tend to get on my nerves anyway. It irks me how they have no real skills of their own, but draw money from taxpayers to 'work' in Washington, with 'work' consisting of nothing but writing inane and irrelevant laws and having affairs with their interns. Their only purpose is to exert control over the rest of us, which is ridiculous. None of the powers they routinely employ are authorized by the Constitution, supposedly the highest law of the land. Rather than restrain themselves, politicians are wont to take control of issues that they don't understand so that they look better to the voting public. 

Touya: Note to readers: she's raving. Pay no attention.

Peacewish: A politician can bemoan global warming and start enacting agencies and committees, whereas a real person has to go out and get degrees in geology and meteorology and do actual RESEARCH in order to tackle the problem. And that is exactly what real scientists do, which is when they discover that global warming is an overrated, overhyped threat to the human race. It exists, but its actual effect on the planet is so minimal that it barely registers on the radar.1

Sakura: Really? I didn't know that.

Peacewish: No one does. The media is so biased. And that's just one example. Politicians do this constantly, unconcerned with finding actual solutions, only with gathering power to make more of our decisions for us. Vispilio was the personification of my distaste in this story. He was weak, flashy, deceptive, and utterly dependent on others' abilities for his own survival. Vispilio, by the way, is Latin for 'thief in the night'.

Touya: Fascinating. For those who care. Can we talk about something interesting now?

Peacewish: If you are at all intrigued (or incensed) at what I've written above, then write me for further discussion. You might also check out the website of where I work, www.cato.org, for a better and more detailed explanation of how government does a bad job of running our lives. 

Yukito: Is she allowed to do that? Promote her business at the end of a story? 

Peacewish: Ah…er…I don't really know. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the story. This one was more heavily political than any of the others, but with any luck you liked it anyway. Arigatou to all my reviewers out there. You make it worthwhile. 

Sakura: What, no plug to the readers about your next story?

Peacewish: I was just getting to that, Sakura. As it happens, I do have another story in the works, and I'm quite pleased with it. But that's just the thing – it's in the works. Unlike all my other stories, written weeks and even months ago, this one is as yet uncompleted. If I start posting next week, I won't be able to put up the chapters quite as fast as I have with my other stories in the past. I'm 12 chapters into it, but there's another 3 or 4 to go at least.

Li: Starring me?

Peacewish: Actually…

Li: Oh no. You made it all about Touya again, didn't you?

Peacewish: You know it, baby. And Li isn't even going to be in this one.

Li: WHAT?

Touya: All right!

Peacewish: Sorry, Li, but this next story is a prequel. Takes place years before you ever even come to Japan. 

Li: (grumbles)

Peacewish: This is the story of an angry teenager, haunted by the memory of his dead mother and saddled with his pesky little sister, and how he lashes out at the world.

Touya: Wait a minute…

Peacewish: And the mysterious, red-haired teacher that reaches out to him. A story of what happened long before the book in the basement was ever opened. Title: Scattered Blossoms. And it's all about you, my love.

Touya: Guess I can't argue with that…

Yukito: Are you sure she knows about us?

Touya: Shh. As long as she's giving me starring roles, I'm not going to say anything.

Peacewish: So there's the plug. I'll start posting next week, on Thursday afternoon (10/3) since I leave on Friday to go relax at my grandparent's cabin in Vermont for the weekend. I'm looking forward to the break, but I'll be anxious to see what everyone thinks of my story when I get back. So please review! Sayonora until next time.

1 The Satanic Gases, Michaels, Patrick J. Cato Institute, 1999.


End file.
